Esther Sintim came to the United States when she was 14 years old so that she could be with her family. Although Esther was born in Ghana, her father and three siblings lived in the United States, and she was eager to be reunited with them.

It was her father who first inspired her to become a nurse. He worked as a psychiatric nurse, and he encouraged Esther to follow in his footsteps.

Esther started down her career path almost as soon as she arrived in the U.S. For high school, she attended the Marie Curie School for Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions in the Bronx. Through the school, Esther was introduced to different specialties and professions within health care. She also got to visit hospitals and enroll in internships.

“My dad introduced me to nursing,” she said. “Having those experiences in high school really showed me that nursing was for me. I loved the work right away.”

She graduated from Marie Curie as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and then became a registered nurse after earning her associate degree from Bronx Community College. She started her career in 2013. Like her father, she worked as a psych nurse.

“I had a great experience working for the Office of Mental Health,” she said. “Automatically, I love kids, and I love working with kids. There’s nothing better than feeling like you’re helping children get healthy.”

Esther returned to college a few years later, to pursue her bachelor’s in nursing. This time, she attended Lehman College, which is just on the other side of the Jerome Park Reservoir from her high school.

After she graduated in 2018, she joined Children’s Aid as a nurse case manager in our Medical Foster Care division. Medical Foster Care nurses work with children who are placed in foster care and who have special medical needs.

“The cases can be very hectic,” she said. “We help children who have emotional difficulties, cardiac issues, and orthopedic needs. Some of the children are in wheelchairs, and some require major surgeries. They really need our support.”

That support was particularly important during the pandemic. She recognized the arrival and the seriousness of the novel coronavirus when one of her patients was diagnosed with the disease in early 2020.

During the pandemic, Esther bravely continued caring for her clients. She even helped to coordinate two critical heart surgeries for children in desperate need during the peak of the pandemic. It’s a point of pride for her now that both children are healthy and have been placed in loving homes.

In these children, Esther saw a warmth of spirit and a strength and resilience that felt familiar to the people she grew up with in Ghana.

“These children are dealing with a lot of trauma,” she said, “but they always come in with a smile. They’re in a good mood, and they have good vibes. They’re hopeful even when their situation is quite challenging.”

The work can be stressful, but Esther takes comfort knowing that she’s making a difference and knowing that her team has her back.

“My coworkers offer a lot of support,” she said. “We work really well together. We help each other out. We’re like a family as well.”

Esther now works as an assistant supervisor for the MFC program, based out of our Bronx Health Center. Although she’s in a managerial role now, she still enjoys being able to manage cases and work directly with the children.

“Working with the kids brings me joy,” she said. “That’s what I love the most about my job.