Following in your parent's footsteps can be rare, but for one Vancouver mother and son, it seemed inevitable.
Dederique "Dee" Nap has been a registered nurse (RN) for over 30 years. She specializes in gastroenterology, a medical area commonly associated with digestive disorders.
Her son is Dr. Estello Nap Hill, a medical doctor and internal medicine resident with UBC. Hill was raised by his single mom in Richmond. Following high school graduation, he attended McGill University thanks to a football scholarship.
While he never dreamed of entering the same profession as his mom, Hill seemed destined to become a doctor.
"I fell out of love with football and I wanted to challenge myself and I wanted to pick something that I knew would kind of reach my full potential," he explains.
Hill graduated from university at the height of COVID-19; it's an experience he will never forget.
"Graduating med school during a pandemic was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because I think that it put so much extra stress on an already stressful and intense time and situation," says Hill.
His mother worked as an RN during another famous health crisis — the SARS outbreak of the early 2000s.
The dynamic duo recently worked a shift together and even cared for the same patient.
For Nap, feeling proud of her son is an understatement.
"It's like a dream come true to have him do something that he enjoys, that he gives back to his community, that he gives of himself for others. I can't be prouder of him," she explains.
The pair is ultimately grateful to be in such a crucial field, especially given the light shone on frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic.
