# 2 - The Unconventional SVH Biography of Mary Beth Fries Buchner

To be completely honest there were other influences in my decision to enter Nursing School.  Embarrassingly, most of these influences were superficial, silly or based on money.   When I was approximately   4 or 5 years old, my paternal Aunt, Rosemary Fries Mc Bride, who  was herself a Registered Nurse, bought me a complete nursing outfit, white dress, cap, cape and all.  I loved it and wore it to the next Halloween party and just about every day until I grew out of it.    I was also rather impressed by nurse, Mary, who worked for our family physician, Dr. William Carrington, and thought it would be nice to be just like her so I could present kids with lollipops after I gave them their shots.

Then, my parents presented me with a marvelous gift in the form of a newborn sister in June, 1954. They were also kind enough to give me free rein in her care. I was allowed to bathe her, change her diapers, dress her, carry her around in my arms, and put her to bed.   I can’t begin to express how much this meant to me.  I was only 9 and ½ years old but they trusted me completely and I knew I wouldn’t betray their trust.  I had so much fun taking care of this real live baby sister that I knew if I became a nurse, I would be able to go on taking care of babies the rest of my life.   If I could have gotten my R.N. by only taking one long specialty in Pediatrics, I would have done so.