It doesn’t take much to look around and feel like the world is ending. No one, it seems can figure out how to speak and act kindly anymore, the news is chock full of scary stories, and then there is the stress of navigating the hellscape that is this current economy.
It might be safe to say that we can all use a heavy dose of humanity. And one elementary school nurse shared a now-viral story on her TikTok video that is just that.
TikTok user @DevaOfAvalon shared a heart-breakingly sweet story about an elementary student who wondered out loud if she has cancer because her hair is falling out.
What she said next feels like a gut-punch to the feels.
The video, which has been viewed 1.5 million times and liked 271.7K times, shows the creator known as Nurse Kim to her students in tears as she explains an interaction she just had with a student.
She says that a third-grader came to her office and asked to speak with her and then shut the door.
She assumed that because he shut the door that it might be serious so she gave this child her undivided attention.
“Nurse Kim,” the kiddo asked. “Do you have cancer?”
“And I went, ‘No? Why would you think so?’ and he said, ‘because your hair is not as pretty as used to be and I noticed that it keeps on falling out.”
Nurse Kim is sniffling with red, wet eyes as she retells this story. She pauses her story to explain that she got Covid last fall.
“I didn’t realize that hair loss is a major thing because your whole body is trying to fight this virus, and when you’re whole body is trying to fight it, it pulls nutrients and blood flow from different parts of the body where it doesn’t need it as much.”
She goes on to explain that in instead of 20 to 30% of her hair in a regular cycle of hair loss, which is normal for adults, she has lost closer to 80%, and sadly, it’s not growing back.
So, she tells her student that she does not have cancer, but her body is healing and she is hopeful that it will start to get better.
“He gives me this hug and he goes, ‘that is so good because I cannot lose you, Nurse Kim, ’cause I would not come to school if it weren’t for you.”
Oh, my heart, what she says next is so heartwarming.
“And then I realized it was a bigger picture. It wasn’t me being self-conscious, it was him making sure that I’m ok so that he can come to school.”
Just when you thought the world was going straight to hell in a handbasket, long come Nurse Kim with a gentle reminder that there are ordinary people out there doing extraordinary things and they may not even know it.
@dejaofavalon Bless his little heart ? #elementary #cancer #covid19 #covid #rn #nurse #storytime #elementaryschool #mom #idaho #idahome #blessed
The comments section is full of love and support too.
Like this comment from verified TikTok user ShaunT who wrote, “Literally saving this for when I’m having a bad day because clearly you’re an amazing person and I’m gonna act like I know you on a bad day!”
Some TikTok users shared their own stories of when a school nurse or teacher helped them through a rough spot in childhood. This user wrote, “When I lost my dad in 7th grade. My English teacher would let me nap/eat in her room during lunch. God Bless Mrs. Graham!”
Other users offered tips and encouragement for having gone through the same Covid related hair loss.
One commenter wrote, “It does get better. My hair fell out for about 6 months after covid. Then eventually slowed down. It gets better.”
And still, others saw the true meaning in the video, that perspective is everything. One commenter wrote, “makes you realize that while we worry about something that is important to us, someone else is worrying for something much [more] significant.”
That third grader might be having a tough time, but he sure does have one amazing school nurse to watch over him and make sure he’s seen and heard. And honestly, this is exactly the kind of news story that our feeds need more of.
