Mireya Swanson (c.) is a nurse at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill., assigned to the ICU Step-Down Unit with co-workers like Danny Gramatikov (l.) and Pheba Benson. Moxy the robot performs tasks like delivering medications and making sure specimens get to the lab for testing.
by Michelle London
At just 24 years old, Mireya Swanson has lived a life marked by compassion, resilience, and a sense of purpose.
Growing up in a close-knit family in Chicago, Mireya’s path toward nursing began with her own family. As a teen, she helped care for her niece, Joanna, who lived with multiple medical conditions. When Mireya was 13, she was performing chest physiotherapy, managing tube feedings, and responding calmly to respiratory distress.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had a skillset for caring,” she says.
A Community That Recognized Her Gifts
Patricia Kerz, BVM, who has known Mireya since infancy and sponsored her Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Scholarship for Women application, saw her talents early on.
“She was very into helping all of the younger kids in the family and at church,” Patricia recalls. “If she saw they needed help, she was the first one to reach out and find out what they needed.”
Patricia first met Mireya’s mother, Griselda, at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Chicago, where they worked together at the food pantry.
“Griselda was always into helping people and volunteering,” she says. “I think Mireya took that from her mother.”
Mireya recalls that Patricia was always a part of her family, offering support and being there during hard times.
“Sister Patricia is like my grandma,” she says. “She’s always been our rock.”
Perseverance Through Challenges
Joanna was just nine years old when she passed away. Even in loss, Mireya remained inspired to care for others. She has a nephew with muscular dystrophy and an adult cousin who is on the autism spectrum and helps with their care as often as she can.
Mireya’s educational path was supported through a renewable scholarship from the BVMs during her time at Chamberlain University in Addison, Ill. The school is known for its intense accelerated nursing program.
“It allowed me to plan,” Mireya says. “For my hardest courses, I could cut back on work hours and focus on school.”
Patricia followed Mireya’s journey.
“It made me feel very proud,” she says. “She stuck with it. She didn’t give up. Working and going to classes at the same time isn’t easy.”
A Year of Milestones
As 2025 drew to a close, Mireya graduated, began her nursing career, and married her husband, Benjamin.
“It was a lot,” she says. “But I’m always asking, ‘What’s next?’ I’m always looking for the next challenge.”
Mireya works as a step-down ICU nurse at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill., caring for patients who are no longer in intensive care but still require close monitoring.
As she looks towards the future—graduate studies, teaching, and possibly emergency medicine—those who know her are sure of her success.
“She’s a wonderful nurse,” Patricia says. “She’s very kind, very efficient, and very smart. It was money well spent.”
From a teenage caregiver to a health care professional, Mireya has come into her calling, sustained by faith, family, and a BVM that recognized her gifts from the beginning.
About the author: Michelle London is a communications specialist for Sisters of Charity, BVM in Dubuque, Iowa.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of SALT Magazine.
Summer Salt 2026: Hands, Heart, Ministry
If you would like to receive Salt, contact the Office of Development for a complimentary subscription at development@bvmsisters.org or 563-585-2864.
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