'You Cannot pour from an empty cup'

Elysia King is a nurse, an artist and a person who saw a need: nurses in personal or professional crisis who were desperate for help but still expected to deal with a regular workload.

"There are not resources," King said, noting in the profession, nurses are asked to give and give and give to help heal patients.

But, King said, "You cannot pour from an empty cup."

Nurses have to be cared for so they can care for patients, in other words, King said.

And Rad Nurse was born.

King said she is both scientifically oriented and more whimsical and artistic but finding a way to have both was a real struggle.

While living in St. Louis, King said, she donated a painting she'd done to an auction, and the proceeds benefited a charity.

That lit a fire, she said.

And the first Nurse in Need is Lesley McKeever, whose young son recently finished treatment for leukemia.

It was a hard fight, and it's not over yet, McKeever said in a phone interview.

"I had to cut back on hours, and eventually had to leave altogether," McKeever said of the time frame around her son's diagnosis.

"It really means a lot," she continued, voice shaking with emotion. "We struggle financially. Even now, he just finished chemo on Dec. 11, and I'm still not able to work right now because his immune system is not up to par. He gets sick."

So, McKeever said, she and her family still need support, and not just monetary.

"(King) is also doing some things to help us emotionally � a postcard initiative where people can send me a message, things like that," McKeever said.

"I feel honored to be her first participant because I really think this is an important mission, and I'm excited to help her get it established, up and going," McKeever said.

And, King said, the Rad Nurse apparel line is officially launched.

"People are able to buy shirts and hoodies online," King said, adding the goal is to pair each nurse's story with a specialized design, available for purchase.

King will design the pieces herself, she said, and items will be made in adult and child sizes.

The goal is to sell at least 100 shirts, and 50 percent of the proceeds go directly to McKeever, King said.

"That alone will bring in at least $1,500 for Lesley, and will alleviate at least one medical bill," King said.

Ultimately, if 500 items are sold from the apparel line alone, McKeever and family would receive nearly $6,000, King said.

"We're in the 'every little bit helps' phase still, but it would be amazing to find additional sponsors for Lesley and our future nurses," King said.

The goal is to partner with three businesses by the end of January, she said and to sponsor a Nurse in Need every three months.

"Ultimately, I want people to understand that this is not another GoFundMe campaign: this is about partnering with nurses on an individual basis: meeting them where they are and sharing their story in a unique way while connecting them with a community of support," King said.

At press time, more than $600 had been raised for McKeever, according to www.radnurse.net.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630