by Clem Boyd, Communication Content Manager
When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, Rachel Hartley, a 2015 B.S.N. and 2020 Master of Science in Nursing alumna, was serving as a preoperative surgical nurse in Lynchburg, Virginia. Her husband, Taylor, was following his calling as a photographer. Then everything changed.
This dynamic, on-mission couple heard the stories about pandemic-ravaged New York City and sensed the Lord’s nudging. This was the time for Rachel to use her post-Cedarville training as a critical care nurse. So they made their way by boat 260 nautical miles to Brooklyn and found a place to dock free of charge due to the amazing generosity of the marina.
Rachel treated patients at Langone Hospital, which was overwhelmed by COVID. The semi-tractor trailers doubling as temporary morgues was a heavy daily reminder of the pandemic’s relentless severity.
While Taylor and Rachel were both realistic about the risks they were taking, the Hartleys saw their mission as more than healthcare. There was an eternal mission at stake, among the sick and dying, and among the frontline workers with whom Rachel served.
“My prayer and my hope is that in everything, His name would be made known,” Rachel shares during the podcast. “In that is my greatest hope.”
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More to the Story
Rachel would continue to serve as a traveling nurse, caring for patients in Ohio, The Bahamas, and Los Angeles.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,715 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Science in nursing, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.