Katie's Korner

Sis’s oldest daughter, Katie Christofferson, passed away unexpectedly two years ago at the age of 28. While Sis and Katie share a very special mother-daughter connection, Katie was very much her own girl and wanted to stand on her own two feet. Sis describes her as extremely tenacious and determined, especially in regards to achieving her dream of becoming a nurse. When all of the colleges surrounding Chico were impacted, and Katie wasn’t able to get into the nursing program, she applied and was awarded a seat in Carrington College’s nursing program in Reno, Nevada. She graduated and was set to begin her career working with children in the pediatric wing at a Reno-area medical center.

In memory of Katie and her love of nursing, two of Nurses and Professional Healthcare’s associated facilities in Fall River and Burney have honored Katie with a scholarship through their annex. It’s the first time they’ve ever done that for someone outside of the community, and Sis considers it a tremendous honor to Katie that they would name a scholarship after her. NPH’s own internal staff have also established and awarded a scholarship in Katie’s name as a gift to Sis and her family. Enabling others to realize their dream of becoming a nurse helps continue Katie’s passion for the calling.

In addition to her love of nursing, Katie loved animals of all kinds, especially her dog, Mimi Rose. Sis shares that NPH and her family have close ties to the Butte Humane Society. Very rarely would you ever see Katie without an animal by her side. “I really loved that about her because it really spoke to the essence of her heart.”

The Butte Humane Society has honored Katie in their new wing with an area known as “Katie’s Korner”. That area is dedicated to welcoming children in to learn about animals and animal care. It’s centered around honoring Katie’s memory and her love for animals.

The opportunity to have her daughter’s passions honored in these ways are precious to Sis Gilmore and her family as they continue to celebrate Katie Christofferson’s life. She was truly one of a kind. She is missed and loved everyday.