My mother - The greatest inspiration of my life When asked who their hero is, most people answer with the name of an athlete or an actress/actor. When people ask me who my hero is, I have to answer with a simple three-letter word: mom. My mother has been the biggest inspiration in my life and is the main reason why I am where I am and who I am today. Born and raised in Richmond, Kentucky, I would like to introduce you to my mother, Vicki Grant. Currently aged 47, mom is the eldest of three daughters. At age 36, Mom decided to return to college to get her nursing degree. It wasn't a difficult decision for her to make. In April, before she enrolled in school, my great-grandmother died. This major dilemma played a major role in Mom's return to school. She had cared for my great-grandmother for months before she passed and decided she wanted to make an impact on the lives of geriatricians. At school, mom didn't have it too easy. Not only did she raise a daughter and take care of her husband, but she faced many setbacks. These included things such as my father suffering a heart attack and having to undergo triple bypass surgery, herself having emergency surgery, which left her a semester behind, and her father also suffered a heart attack. Mom not only faced these setbacks, but she also had daily tasks such as cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and raising a family. I don't know how she managed all of this, but somehow she did. In 1996, my mother graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Even though it took her five years, we were still proud of her and everything she had accomplished. Today, my mother still works as a registered nurse. Even though she just left her job at Berea Hospital, where she had worked for 4 years, she is starting a new style of nursing..