I was disturbed but not really surprised when I read a October 21 New England Journal of Medicine article by Scott D. Halpern MD PhD titled “Learning about End-of-Life Care from Grandpa”. Dr. Halpern, a palliative care doctor and ethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote about his elderly grandfather who had been widowed for the […]
Author Archives: Nancy Valko
I have been a registered nurse since 1969 and currently I am a spokesperson for the National Association of Prolife Nurses (www.nursesforlife.org). I have also been a past President of Missouri Nurses for Life and past co-chair of the St. Louis Archdiocesan Respect Life Committee.
In 2015, I was honored to receive the People of Life award from the US Catholic Conference of Bishops.
After working in critical care, hospice, home health, oncology, dialysis and other specialties for 45 years, I am currently working as a legal nurse consultant (www.valkolnc.com) and volunteer.
I have served on medical and nursing ethics committees and give speeches and workshops around the country on medical ethics issues. I have also served on the board of the Saint Louis Down Syndrome Association in the past and I am still active in the field of disability advocacy. I have worked as a volunteer for children with disabilities, people with severe brain injuries, and bereaved parents.
I have also appeared on many radio and television shows on various medical, ethical and pro-life topics and I have written on these topics for The National Catholic Register, The National Catholic Bioethics Center, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, First Things magazine, Magnificat, the Linacre Quarterly and other publications. I was also contributing editor for Voices magazine, a publication of Woman for Faith and Family until it ceased publication in 2014. I also have an archive of older articles, etc. from Voices magazine and other outlets at my other blog “Nancy Valko, RN ALNC”.
I have personally cared for many relatives with a variety of physical or mental disabilities, including my mother with Alzheimer’s and terminal cancer and a daughter, Karen, who was born with Down Syndrome and a severe heart defect. Although both are now deceased, the influence of my mother and daughter has positively motivated my activities in medical ethics and working for greater support for people and families dealing with such issues as disabilities, chronic illness and terminal conditions.
I was a divorced single mother for 20 years (and after an annulment), married my wonderful husband Kevin Scannell in June, 2008 and we live in St. Louis, Mo. Together, we are blessed with 4 living children and 4 living grandchildren.
In 2009, I lost my beautiful 30 year old daughter Marie to suicide and in 2012, Kevin and I lost our 6 year old grandson Noah to a rare autoimmune disease called HLH.
