Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 10

Amanda McGeachey ’04:

Bringing Joy and Care
To Children Who Need
It Most
BY EMMA DEANS

As a nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital, Amanda
McGeachey ’04 works with children of all ages and
diseases. “I anticipate going to my job like it’s the day
of the big game or, more cliché, like it’s Christmas
morning. It’s that exciting to be able to help,” she
says. Amanda earned an accelerated BSN degree
from Simmons College, a B.S. in Biology from
Stonehill College, and previously served as a Research
Nurse with a focus on clinical drugs and quality
improvement studies for patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
She worked on some of the initial trials for two of the
biggest medications that have been discovered for
the disease—ivacaftor (Kalydeco®) and lumacaftor/
ivacaftor (Orkambi®).

In December 2015
Amanda McGeachey
received the DAISY
(Diseases Attacking
the Immune
System) Award
For Extraordinary
Nurses. The award
is given monthly to
an outstanding nurse
in more than 900
hospitals, including
Boston Children’s.
It was established
to recognize nurses
for their personal
acts of kindness and
compassion provided
to patients and their
families.

“I have been exposed to healthcare my entire life—my
mother is also a nurse and my father is a healthcare
administrator. I have always been interested in
going into healthcare in some capacity and my time
Math class with Ms. Sheehan (now Mrs. Snyder); her
working directly with patients as an Administrative
excitement
Associate made me decide
about teaching
on nursing specifically.
the subject
“There are so many reasons I love my job; first and
There are so many reasons
foremost, I literally go to work every day and get to made math
I love my job; first and
fun and
spend time with children who, even on their sickest
foremost, I literally go to
interactive.
days, are resilient and happy.”
work every day and get to
I also loved
spend time with children
my Spanish
who, even on their sickest
classes. Mr.
days, are resilient and
Thompson
happy. My job, sadly, places me in situations where
opened my eyes to creative and out-of-the-box ways of
families might be experiencing one of the scariest
learning; he taught us Spanish through music and poetry
days of their lives. I use my skills and knowledge to
rather than strictly rote grammar and speaking. Lastly, I
attempt to make that moment less scary and terrible,
always enjoyed my orchestra class with Mrs. Wilkinson.
while making their child feel better. It’s a unique
Learning music and musical structure is interesting and
experience that I can truly say I look forward to doing
useful for many reasons, but it just taught me to love
every day.
something plainly because it makes me feel good. I have
“My time at TA shaped much of what I am doing
today. The most influential part of my experience
at Thornton was the ability to do and experience a
variety of things. My favorite classes spanned from
math to my orchestra class. I remember my Advanced

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learned that having a relaxation activity is key to recovering
from my often emotionally stressful job. I still have a
keyboard in my apartment in Boston and play it daily.”