One day Julie Harless was a healthy nursing student, and the next she became the patient.

At the age of 50, Harless wanted to become a registered nurse, but a recent diagnosis made her believe that her dream to become an RN would be unreachable.

It was in 2017 when he decided to go back to school and get a degree from Ashland Community & Technical College in Kentucky. She worked as a nursing assistant for almost 20 years.

However, she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian and lung cancer. It was also found in her tailbone and hips. Her health rapidly deteriorated.

Natalie Robinson, the school’s nursing program coordinator, said to WSAZ: “Last month, she was sitting in class smiling. This month, she’s in hospice.”

Her classmates found out she was not expected to survive to their graduation in 2020, so they decided to bring the honor at her bedside.

“Julie kept saying, ‘Well, all this hard work I’ve done is for nothing.’ We wanted her to know it was worth it,” Robinson expressed.

More than 100 people gave her a surprise pinning ceremony at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland last week.

Nursing students receive a pin to wear on their uniforms when they graduate.

Clinical instructor Lynn Hill said: “She’s the epitome of what a nurse should be. I hope (her classmates) take just a little bit of Julie and strive to become what Julie is.”

Her son Jordan said: “It was amazing. She wanted to be an inspiration to other people to not give up, to keep fighting. She’s a very strong and amazing person.”

Her sister, Barb, also participated in the program. She plans to wear Julie’s pin if she can’t make it on their graduation day.

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