Educational awards honour memory of VON employees killed in N.S. mass shooting
Kristen Beaton, left, and Heather O'Brien. (Submitted)
VON Canada is commemorating the lives of two colleagues killed in Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting by creating educational awards in their honour.
Awards have been set up at Dalhousie University in memory of Kristen Beaton and Heather O’Brien to “celebrate their commitment to home and community care,” said the university in a news release.
The award will be given to graduating students within the CCA, LPN and RN programs who “demonstrate attributes that both Heather and Kristen embodied in their work: caring, compassionate and dedicated to the community.”
The VON Memorial Award Series is also in partnership with St. Francis Xavier University and the Nova Scotia Community College.
“On the second anniversary of this loss, we hope the awards can offer some comfort to those who knew and were impacted by Kristen and Heather, both personally and professionally,” wote VON Canada president and CEO, Jo-Anne Poirier, in the release.
“We also hope the awards will inspire and support graduating health-care professionals to approach their careers with the integrity, compassion and quality excellence displayed by Heather and Kristen.”
O’Brien, a nurse, and Beaton, a continuing care assistant, were shot and killed just before 10 a.m. on April 19, 2020 on Plains Road in Debert, N.S.
“Our mother believed that knowledge is power, and that education, mixed with equal parts of compassion, is what made an incredible nurse,” wrote the O'Brien family in the release. “Receiving an award in her name would certainly be an honour.”
Nick Beaton, Kristen’s husband, says he hopes the awards can create something positive out of a “truly terrible” situation.
“I want my son to be able to read about the difference his mom made, the change and the good she created,” said Beaton. “I hope this inspires others to be like the kind, caring and compassionate person my wife, his momma, was."
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