Notes from the Bedside: Suffering, Death and the Human Condition - Amanda Daxon - Friday Night Lecture - 1st August

Many in Rochester know someone in the medical profession; perhaps a doctor, a nurse, a physical therapist. However, what most do not experience is the frontline work of the intensive care unit or the emergency department. These are the spaces where life and death meet; where patients and family members are faced with choices and endings that are deeply painful and often sudden and stressful. Amanda Daxon worked as a pediatric ICU nurse for seven years before transitioning into another career. During that time, she walked with families and children through their darkest moments. She will share her own personal story while also highlighting the stressors that healthcare workers face. She will also share insights into suffering and redemption and will remember the children who shaped her. Originally from Oklahoma, Amanda Daxon graduated valedictorian from Oklahoma Baptist University and subsequently worked for several years as a pediatric ICU nurse before realizing that her true passion was historical study. She graduated in 2011 from The Catholic University of America with a Master of Arts in Medieval History. She subsequently worked as the Program Coordinator for the Byzantine Studies Department at Dumbarton Oaks, a Harvard University research institute located in Washington, D.C. In addition, she volunteered at the Folger Shakespeare Library, performing bibliographical analysis on 16th-18th century Flemish imprints before relocating to Germany for three years, where her husband was stationed with the US Army. There, she honed the art of having children and finding obscure medieval structures to explore. She has resided in Rochester for eight years with her husband, Ben, and three children, Macallan, Gwyneth, and Sullivan. She currently teaches literature and rhetoric at Schaeffer Academy.