Meet Harriet

Harriet Kay has a mission statement for living that defines her very being.  “Life is not about just surviving, it is about thriving”.  Thriving in life is exactly what she has done since the day of her birth.  This is an amazing feat considering that at the time of her birth, there were doubts as to whether or not she would be able to have even a semblance of what most would consider an ordinary existence.  Born with a congenital defect that caused entrapment and malformation of her feet, ankles, and her right hand, it was clear she would need extensive surgery and rehabilitation.  After much consultation with medical professionals, the decision was made to amputate both legs below-the-knee.  No ordinary feat, considering that it was 1968 and she was not even one year old.  The ensuing years would find her having more surgeries to correct abnormalities to her hand and multiple revision surgeries to her legs.  However, from the beginning nothing got in the way of her zest for life.  Whether it was learning to ride a bicycle or jumping off the diving board into the pool, if she wanted it and saw it then she would simply go for it.

This early vision for life has translated into academic, professional, and personal success.  Earning her Bachelors of Science in Nursing, she has had a career that has spanned many health specialties and initiatives.  She has been a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing, has lobbied state government on behalf of public health and prosthetic care initiatives, and is currently a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse for a major metropolitan hospice company and serves on the leadership team as an Assistant Clinical Director.  In addition, she has been featured in the national magazine “Advance for Nurses” for her perseverance and inspiration in nursing.

Upon meeting Kay, you immediately become aware of her enthusiasm, ever present humor, and sense of adventure.  At points in her life she has been a member of both community swim teams and teams for challenged athletes including a para-olympic training team at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.  She has also competed in the 2006 and 2007 Extremity Games, an adaptive extreme sports competition, in which she participated in the wakeboard and kayaking divisions.  Her love of whitewater and sea kayaking are evident from the boats that perpetually sit on the top of her car racks.  She often uses the river as a metaphor for life and its constant change, challenge, beauty, and reward.

Despite her incredible accomplishment and personality, Kay had a belief early on that she was “not enough”.  She began to believe that she needed to be perfect in order to transcend the obvious imperfection of her body.  This internal belief coupled with depression and anxiety led to a hidden darkness that would almost consume her.  Her bright and vibrant public face was a complete paradox to the negative dialogue in her head.  “I truly believed that I was a burden and not a blessing in this life”.  As a result, the lies that she told herself would plunge her down a rabbit hole of suicidal thoughts.  Even in early memories of childhood, she recalls the passing thought of “ending it all”.  This internal struggle imploded with the ending of her first marriage.  With a weapon on the table and the lack of strength to continue to endure, she almost ended her life.  It was by grace that she did not act on that decision and instead rose another day to continue her journey.

It has been an arduous journey at times filled with loss, depression, post-traumatic stress, betrayal, and abandonment.  However, it has been through these struggles and her ability to transcend them that she has now become one with the woman that everyone meets.  Her courage and perseverance are what have allowed her to become the success that she is today.  That little girl with the huge smile on her face who was determined to ride a bike is now whole and confident.  Because of her life experience, she has a desire and a mission to bring the message to all women that they can absolutely believe “I AM ENOUGH”.  And, we all know what happens when Kay decides upon a vision for life.