C
hristy Gallegos was born in Texarkana and made a life in this community. She spent her weekends at her grandma's house and every Sunday sitting in church.
"When I was little girl my grandma would call me a 'pistol packing mama," Christy said. "But I told my grandma that I wanted to be a doctor."
She graduated from Hooks High School, married, had children and started a career as a police officer. She was a stay-at-home mom, at first.
"When the kids went to school, I started going back to school a little at a time," Christy said.
Her family helped her, Christy said.
"My Aunt Audrey told me that the No. 1 way to invest back in this world was to invest in me."
Christy said she has always helped care for her siblings.
"When they would get hurt, I would be calm," she said. "I would clean them up and take care of them."
It was a clear sign.
"I just knew that I like people, and I like to get to get to know them," she said "I just knew that there has to be a job for that."
Christy became a registered nurse in 2006, but it wasn't without its challenges. She found it was hard to complete the tests on time.
"I could answer the questions but the Scantron (testing system) was hard to complete due to the time crunch," she said.
"I failed my nursing exam." Christy said, referring to her first try.
She knew why she struggled. She had Duane syndrome, a rare eye condition. She spoke with her instructors before she tested again and they made accommodations. She passed with flying colors.
She eventually joined the staff in the intensive care unit at Wadley Regional Hospital.
In 2010, she went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. When her husband, Don, passed away, she held on to her faith in God and stayed to course.
She married Hector Gallegos in 2011. And with support from him and her family she finished school. On her final exam, she made a perfect 100 out of 100.
"I fell out when I saw that," she said, "but I knew I didn't make that. I knew God was going to help me do that."
Christy participates in medical mission trips to Guatemala with her husband and other members of First Baptist Church in Texarkana. The team has a compound in that country, where they pack up vans and go into the villages. Smetimes they see as many as 250 people a day.
"We do three months' worth of medicine - minor procedures, blood pressure monitoring, diabetic screenings and treatment, as well as fellowship with them," Christy said.
They also use an operating room at the compound where they have performed gallbladder surgeries, a hysterectomy and even a total knee surgery.
"I make house calls with an interpreter for those unable to get to the clinic. So many people ask me if I am scared to go do this, but I am not scared," she said. "My dad was a missionary and pilot. He died in Guatemala in a plane crash while on a mission, so I feel like there is a piece of me there."
Christy began working at HealthCARE Express in 2014. Six months later, she joined the leadership team taught by Dr. Timothy Reynolds. She thought back to the lessons her grandmother instilled in her and how they mimic the lessons that she learned in these leadership classes. Dr. Reynolds was huge influence on her, she said. "I knew I wanted to have my own clinic, and Dr. Reynolds showed me that it was possible," Christy said. "I sat down with my husband and we talked it out. We set a goal and then took a leap of faith to achieve it."
They openned a clinic in De Queen, Arkansas. She was familiar with the town because when her children were little she would shop the Walmart there on the way to Cossatot Falls. But she needed to connect on a deeper level for this venture to succeed.
She remembered something her good friend Suki O'Neal told her: "If you want to get to know your community, then you have to be a part of the community."
Christy took those words to heart. She and her husband participate in many local events and organizations.
"I love living in this small town. When we are out grocery shopping, I love seeing the people I help care for. They feel like my family," she said. "I think that makes a difference being in a smaller community, because we connect at more personal level."
Christy says there is much for which she is grateful.
"I give it all to God, and my family," she said. "I am truly blessed by all the amazing opportunities in my life." n
NAME:
Christy Gallegos
Occupation:
Nurse
Neighborhood:
De Queen, Arkansas
Family:
Husband Hector, 4 children and 6 grandchildren
Favorite Color:
Pink
Favorite Food:
Sushi
Favorite hobby:
Quilting
Favorite book:
"Redeeming Love" by Francis Rivers
words to live by:
"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."