Nellie is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she is studying education and psychology, she is also a member of the honors college. She has a job on campus, loves to go to group fitness classes, and loves hanging out with her friends. It's extremely hard to balance the stress of these medical challenges while being a college student, but she has been enjoying it as much as she can. She has an amazing group of friends who are very supportive. 

Her favorite time of year is summer, where she works at a restaurant in her hometown. This summer will be her seventh season working there. She loves going to the beach, exploring the Cape and the islands, biking, kayaking, and anything that involves being outside. She has two dogs whom she loves spending time with. 

Nellie has a strong group of friends, who she loves going on adventures with. They like to go to workout classes, hikes, pottery painting, shopping, and pretty much anything a girl in her 20s would enjoy. 

While Nellie does enjoy being a kid, sometimes it's hard to enjoy normal day-to-day activities because of all the stress and anxiety that comes along with this whole process. She also has to attend frequent doctor appointments that can get in the way of everyday life. 

She does an amazing job of not letting this get in the way and just resuming regular day-to-day activities. 

Here are Nellie's dogs who give her so much comfort and joy. 

Maple

Maple is a nine-year-old mini labradoodle, who has been such a big support in Nellie's life. They love going on adventures together and hanging out. 

Hope

Hope is a new addition to the family. Nellie was a Make-A-Wish recipient, and she got Hope.  Hope is very cuddly and loves spending time with Nellie any chance she gets! 

Nellie's Goals:

While Nellie knows she will need multiple kidney transplants in her lifetime, that doesn't stop her from having a heavy list of goals for the future. 

She hopes to graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in education and a degree in psychology while also completing her honors college requirements. She wants to keep her May 2026 graduation date as well. She knows she may have to take a semester off to get a kidney transplant so she has been working extremely hard to get ahead on credits. 

After undergraduate school, she wants to go to BU to pursue a Master's degree in Child Life. From there she wants to work at Boston Children's Hospital as a child life specialist. She eventually would like to go to BC and get a degree to be a guidance counselor. One day Nellie hopes to get a doctorate and work in school administration. 

Most importantly she wants to make a difference in kids lives and help them in any way she can. 

Besides goals regarding her career Nellie also wants to become a published author and volunteer with therapy dogs in schools and hospitals. 

She also hopes to one day run the Boston Marathon for team Childrens or BID!