Victor Liu lovingly calls Judy Keller \u201cMom,\u201d even though his biological mother resides in China, where Victor was born. Interestingly, his Chinese name, Yuehao, has a beautiful meaning of \u201chappy and proud\u201d in Mandarin.<\/p>\n
Keller considers him her third son, and he is following her path by training to become a nurse at St. Luke\u2019s School of Nursing, where he\u2019s set to graduate in April. Keller has been dedicated to St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network (SLUHN) since 1993, currently providing care as a transfer nurse in the Patient Access Center. With her retirement just around the corner, in September after 32 years of service, she is excited to pass the torch to Liu and confident in his future contributions to nursing.<\/p>\n
Their story began in 2016 when Liu, then 16, arrived in Bethlehem through an educational exchange program. Encouraged by his father, who remains in China, Liu moved to America to pursue a better life.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad loves America and wanted me to come here for more opportunities,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n
With no family here, he was placed with the Keller family, with whom he formed a bond for more than eight years.<\/p>\n
In China, Liu played classical piano, especially pieces by Chopin and other Romantic-era composers. Music was his sanctuary, and even today, he finds comfort at the piano whenever the stress of school and the challenges of hospital life become overwhelming.<\/p>\n
After graduating from Allentown Central Catholic High School in 2018, he pursued a bachelor\u2019s degree in public health with a minor in Informatics at the University of Washington in Seattle. Initially intending to study pre-med, he ultimately found his calling in nursing\u2014largely thanks to Keller\u2019s encouragement.<\/p>\n
\u201cA nurse strives to attract more committed professionals to the field, particularly as many retire,\u201d Keller says. She saw Liu\u2019s intelligence and kindness and urged him to consider a nursing career. Motivated by her commitment to health care, he returned to the East Coast and was admitted to St. Luke\u2019s School of Nursing, the longest operating nursing school in the country. To foster his independence, Keller taught him to drive and assisted him in purchasing his first car.<\/p>\n
Without prior clinical experience, Liu found his early months in nursing school both exciting and daunting.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring my first days, everything felt new,\u201d he recalls. \u201cComing from China, I never encountered an IV pump or a digital thermometer. Dial pumps and mercury thermometers are still common in China. This advanced environment opened my eyes to new possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the initial challenges, Liu quickly found his footing, blending growing medical knowledge with the natural empathy his \u201cMom\u201d had seen in him years before. Early in his training, he was nominated for a DAISY Award for helping a Hispanic grandmother communicate her wishes despite a language barrier\u2014an experience that left a lasting impression, along with many others.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my most memorable moments was with a patient suffering from severe diabetic foot complications,\u201d Liu recalls. \u201cShe had limited mobility and was struggling with depression, making personal hygiene a challenge. Her hair was severely matted, so I carefully brushed it with a small hospital comb and detangler spray. Watching her appearance\u2014and spirit\u2014transform was incredibly moving. Before her CT scan, she looked at me with a warmth I\u2019ll never forget and later told the transporter, \u2018This gentleman is such a saint.\u2019 Moments like that reaffirm why I chose nursing: to bring comfort, dignity, and care to those who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liu works 16 hours a week as a patient care assistant and has committed to staying at St. Luke\u2019s for at least two years after graduation, a testament to the school\u2019s strong recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n
Keller\u2019s love for him is unmistakable when she talks about their journey. She beams with pride as she describes the milestone he\u2019s about to reach\u2014stepping into his nursing career at St. Luke\u2019s, just as she once did.<\/p>\n
She will stand by his side at graduation, pinning the official St. Luke\u2019s School of Nursing emblem on him as a symbolic welcome to the profession she has cherished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be one of the happiest days I\u2019ve had as a nurse and a mother,\u201d she says. \u201cIt will be a great day for Victor and for St. Luke\u2019s too.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites. With annual net revenue of $4 billion, the Network\u2019s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus. It also operates the nation\u2019s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. St. Luke\u2019s is a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World\u2019s Best Hospital. The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in\u00a02021 when it was identified as\u00a0THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was also identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.<\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Victor Liu lovingly calls Judy Keller \u201cMom,\u201d even though his biological mother resides in China, where Victor was born. Interestingly, his Chinese name, Yuehao, has a beautiful meaning of \u201chappy … Continue reading From China to St. Luke\u2019s\u2014His Path to Nursing Forged through Friendship and Hard Work<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/p>\n