From Patient to Nurse: Alisha Arreguin’s Legacy at Presbyterian

Alisha Arreguin, a nurse at Presbyterian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, represents four generations of her family who were born at the healthcare institution. The connection spans a century of the hospital’s history, which began as a cottage for tuberculosis patients and evolved into the largest hospital on Route 66.

The family’s history with the facility started with Arreguin’s father and aunts. This pattern continued with Arreguin and her siblings, followed by her children, and most recently her grandchildren. According to Arreguin, the most recent birth in her family at the hospital occurred in January.

Arreguin stated that this multi-generational history reflects the trust her family has placed in the institution over the years. She believes the experience highlights like how trusted Presbyterian is like as a healthcare institution.

Care for a Daughter

Beyond births, Arreguin’s relationship with the hospital included years of intensive care for her third child, Mercedes. Arreguin noted that Mercedes did not meet the same developmental milestones as her two older children.

At 18 months old, doctors diagnosed Mercedes with fucosidosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability. At the time of the diagnosis, medical professionals informed Arreguin that they did not expect the child to survive past her third birthday.

Mercedes lived until she was 12 years old. During those years, Arreguin spent a significant amount of time at Presbyterian, often staying beside her daughter during her care.

Following these experiences as a parent and patient advocate, Arreguin returned to the institution to work as a nurse.