Spring 2026 Winner of the Caregiver Scholarship

Grace Spinel

We are delighted to congratulate Grace Spinel as the Spring 2026 recipient of the Blossom Law Caregiver Scholarship! From checking her father's blood sugar each night to supporting her grandmother through stage 4 cancer, Grace has shown remarkable compassion and resilience. We can't wait to see her bring that same dedication to a career in medicine.

Read Their Essay Here:

Growing up, I was always a caregiver. Many of my family members were sick, so I learned to take on responsibility from a young age. When I was three, my grandfather suffered a stroke and became bed bound. He was diabetic and hadn’t taken the best care of himself. His passing at an early age taught me how fragile health is and how important it is to care for ourselves and others. Since then, I’ve been quick to notice when someone feels unwell and just as quick to step in with comfort or care.

When I was 16 years old, a similar situation occurred. My dad was my best friend but he also was a diabetic. I loved taking care of my father. It felt good to know I was helping him. It was like a routine. Everyday I would prick his finger and check his sugar, every night I would inject his insulin and tell him to take his pills and then I would tell him I loved him followed by a goodnight. To keep him organized, I would put all of his medications into those weekly pill containers. Although I tried my hardest to make sure he was healthy, that isn’t always enough. He didn’t take the best care of himself. On Halloween day, I came home and he was struggling to speak and open his eyes. His sugar was so high, numbers I've never seen before. The ambulance came and took him. He went into cardiac arrest but they were able to bring him back. However, he went too long without oxygen and was pronounced brain dead. I begged him to wake up and I felt so bad to see him in that state, he was only 49 years old. This experience changed my life. It made me want to take care of others, not just for the patients but for their families as well. I would never want another kid to have to watch their parents suffer. I’m so grateful for the time we got to share but I wish we didn’t have to part ways so early. I want to continue school to become a PA or maybe even a doctor because I believe everyone deserves to live a healthy life. The lifestyles we choose, the food we eat, everything affects us in the long run.

Not only did I care for my father, I cared and worried for my grandma who was all alone now because her son and husband had died. She lost a son at 10 years old to drowning, my father from diabetes, and my grandpa. She had health complications herself and was on dialysis multiple times a week. Everytime I would visit her, my heart would feel so heavy, I felt so bad that she had to endure all of this pain in one lifetime. To try and make life more enjoyable, I would dye her hair and cook with her because those were the little things she loved to do. One day, she told me her stomach felt uncomfortable, so we made a doctor's appointment and later found out she had stage 4 cancer. This was heartbreaking to hear but we had to do what we could. Very similar to how I cared for my father, I would remind her to take her medications which was usually around lunch time. I would visit her every day after school, clean around the house, bring her favorite food, and most importantly, I would sit down and just talk about anything and everything because mental health matters too. However, as the days went by, she grew sicker and sicker. She was so excited to eat her favorite dish, oysters, but as soon as she ate them, she would throw them up and would get so tired. Cancer devoured her body faster than I ever thought it could, she had lost so much weight, and was drained. Although she was suffering, she wouldn’t let go until she knew we were ready because that's who she was, she cared about her grandkids more than herself. She told my siblings and I to take care of each other because you need to care for those you love. She started to talk to all of my family members and essentially tell them each a goodbye. Shortly after she had a surge of energy, she said she saw my dad and her other son and said she was going to be with them, that they were waiting for their mom to come home. Within a few hours, she fell asleep and never woke back up. Although I was devastated, I felt relief knowing part of my family would be reunited again.

If there's anything I learned growing up, it's that we need to not only care for ourselves but those around us as well.With my dad, I stayed committed even though he resisted healthy habits. I was always persistent and strong under stress. With my grandma, even while grieving my dad, I still supported her emotionally and physically. I continued to show up despite my own pain. I learned that setbacks and tragedy don’t define you, how you respond does. My life experiences have led me down a healthcare path, I want to continue school to help others. This perspective has motivated me, I want to fight for others to live a longer, happier life. No one deserves to see their loved one suffer at such an early age and if I can go around and promote healthier lifestyles and push self care so someone can live a longer life, then I will. I don’t want anyone else to feel the helplessness I felt, and that drives my career goals. Life moves fast and it waits for no one. That is why I want to dedicate my future to healthcare, so I can give patients and families more time, more hope, and more life with the people they love.