A Georgia grandmother did not let her age stop her from fulfilling her goal.
Mack told WALB that she wasn’t going to let age stand in her way. ’’It was like everyone was waiting for Loretta to finish school. I did it.”
Mack said she had dreamed all of her life of becoming an RN. The grandmother, who was a certified nurse’s assistant for six years, took a leap of faith after being encouraged by a fellow resource nurse.
“I said to myself, ‘It would be a great example.’ I love people so I’ve always wanted to nurse or take care of people,” Mack said.
“Age is just a number.”
Travel nurse Heather Jackson said she extended her contract so she could keep working with Mack.
“If there’s something that needs to be done, she’s going to do it. [Loretta’s] going to make sure that you’re clean, that you’re fed, that you’re taken care of, and she will sit and talk to you too,” Jackson said. “[Loretta] doesn’t just come in and blow through your room,” Jackson said.
Mack said the journey to becoming a registered nurse wasn’t easy, but she finally finished school.
She credited her family and fellow doctors for helping her with her studies.
“From my sister, from my grandson, Ramondo, from my grandson Julian. Everybody helped me. Even some of the doctors sat down and did practice tests with me, homework and all kinds of things,” Mack said.
Mack said she hopes her story will inspire others to not let age stop them from going after their dreams.
“Age is just a number. I don’t know who thought of that but it’s just a number. I feel that at any age you can do whatever you set your mind to do. If you really want to do it, you can do it,” Mack said.
Mack expressed her desire to break more glass ceilings in the future.