The sterile walls of a chemotherapy treatment room became the unlikely birthplace of a mission that would change Desiree Reinken's life forever. Sitting alongside her best friend during a treatment session, Reinken encountered a stranger grappling with the devastating news of his malignant brain tumor – a chance meeting that would ultimately inspire her journey to earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus.
“At that point in my life, I had just earned my master’s, and I thought I was done with school because I was burnt out,” Reinken says. “But meeting that man opened a whole conversation about the need for interventions that promote quality of life for people with terminal illnesses.”
What began as a supportive gesture for her friend blossomed into a profound calling. Reinken decided to return to school – in honor of the man and her best friend – and focus her dissertation on improving the lives of glioblastoma patients and their caregivers.
“I’ve found a lot can be done to help these patients, and there’s a big need for static interventions rather than just baseline care,” she says. “I also found spirituality and religion played a big part in their quality of life, so patients and caregivers need the resources on promoting spirituality or what religion looks like to them.”
The path forward wasn't without heartbreak. Reinken's best friend – the catalyst for this transformative journey – passed away in 2021, a year after Reinken began her doctoral studies. Yet her friend's memory became the driving force behind Reinken's perseverance.
"My best friend has been the motivating factor behind my research and earning my PhD, and I think she'd be really proud of me," she says. "When I have a bad day, I remind myself that this is something I'm doing to honor her. I'm also honoring the man we met at her chemotherapy appointment and everyone else diagnosed with a terminal illness."
Destined to Help People
Reinken, a Missouri native, knew she wanted to have a career where she’d make a difference in people’s lives, but she wasn’t sure how she’d do it. She was fascinated by the art of caring for others and the complexities of disease and it put her on a path to nursing.
“The closer I got to becoming a nurse, the more motivated I became to be the best nurse possible, and I’m still doing that to this day,” she says. “This is such a rewarding career, and I love being able to offer services to others. We meet patients at their worst and most vulnerable times and sometimes on the best day of their lives, so being able to share those experiences is great.”
Now employed with a company focused on continuing online education for nurses, Reinken also earned her Nursing Education Certificate at CU Nursing and plans to take the CNE exam this summer to further her teaching work while dedicating time to research – turning personal loss into a legacy of compassion and innovation for those facing life's most difficult moments.
