New Riley nurse credits sister for charting her path

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

It was a quarter-century ago, before Nikki Ayala was even born, that a roadmap for her future began to unfold.

Ayala’s older sister, Jessica, was born with cerebral palsy and later diagnosed with autism while the family was living in Colorado.

Because her parents were originally from Indianapolis, they knew Riley Hospital for Children’s reputation and chose to move back to the area to seek care for their baby girl.

When Ayala was born a few years later, a big part of her life was spent at the hospital where her sister received treatment. Jessica had years of physical, occupational and speech therapy, and Ayala went along for the ride – literally.

The People Mover (which shut down in 2019) was a favorite mode of transportation, as were the famous Riley wagons (still in use today).

In fact, the sisters recreated one of those Riley wagon rides recently when they returned to the hospital for a photo shoot.

“She is the most hard-working, loving and genuine person I know,” Ayala said of her sister. “Riley truly changed her life.”

The impact was lifechanging for Ayala as well. That’s because she is now weeks away from her dream job as a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit at Riley.

“Now, close to entering my career as an RN in the PICU, my mom likes to say that everything has come full circle, and this is where I'm meant to be,” she said. “I could not agree more.”

Ayala, who first went to college in Michigan on an ice hockey scholarship, figured out in her first year that athletic training was not her passion.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to make as big of an impact as I would in nursing,” she said.

So she moved back to Indianapolis and graduated from Marian University’s school of nursing in May. She begins her job as a nurse on the PICU July 28. But she’s been part of the PICU team for 2½ years as a patient care tech, as well as a patient care intern, working one-on-one with a registered nurse.

“I have learned more in the past 2½ years than I could have ever imagined, through interactions with patients, their families, and learning from every member of our team.”

This is what she is meant to do, she said. Working with pediatric patients in a critical care setting is the perfect fit.

“There’s just something so special about pediatric patients and the way they are able to bounce back and just be kids even when they’re dealing with illnesses as severe as those we see in the ICU,” Ayala said.

As she prepares to step into her new role, Ayala is thankful for the example her sister set for how to work hard in the face of difficulty and to lead with kindness.

“Nursing can be both emotionally and physically challenging, but I truly think there is no better place for me, or any new graduate interested in pediatrics, to be than Riley,” she said.

“Every opportunity that Riley will offer me will undoubtedly push me to become the best registered nurse I can be.”

Photos by Heather A. Schrock Photography