Frances’ Success Story
Published in 2025
A Healing Journey Back to Work
While at a local restaurant having lunch with her husband, Frances noticed a group of nurses in crisp white scrubs enjoying their lunch break together. It sounded like they were reflecting on something amusing from work or sharing an experience they had with a kind patient that day. They looked so happy, and it was this moment that sparked her desire to go further in her medical career and become a registered nurse.
Frances was already a respiratory therapist and enjoyed a rewarding career, but becoming a nurse was her true goal. A few years later, Frances enrolled in school to pursue her dream. She became a registered nurse in 2004. At that time, Frances could have never imagined that in 2018, a medical crisis would pause everything… but only temporarily.
“I think I’m having a stroke!” Frances said as she sat in her car alone with horrible pain in her head. Next, her entire face went numb. Something was terribly wrong. She managed to drive herself to the hospital, where her fear was confirmed. She was, in fact, having a stroke. According to the Center for Disease Control 1(CDC), a stroke occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Frances’ stroke left her with severe vertigo, massive migraines, and the need for physical therapy.
After the stroke, Frances had a lot of work to do. She was unable to drive or read for the next three years. This made it impossible to return to her career. And she really missed doing what she loved most — helping patients.
“Nursing is a demanding career physically, and I thought I couldn’t do it anymore,” Frances reflected. Now, she needed the care she so diligently gave to others as a registered nurse for 14 years.
While trying to re-group physically and mentally, in 2018 Frances applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and spent the next few years managing her health and making a path to recovery.
Why Did the Chickens Cross the Road?
One sunny day, Frances sat on her porch thinking about how her life had changed since her stroke and the loss of her job. She felt discouraged. Frances was losing motivation after all she’d been through and needed something, anything, to get her back to her job search. She was improving physically under medical care, but she still needed motivation. As she looked at the road, she saw two chicks crossing the road toward her. She was afraid that the chicks would get hit by a car.
“I ran to the fence where they made it to and cornered them. I told my husband, ‘I have two pets now!’” But why were the two chicks so important to her?
“I was desperate for something to give me meaning. The chickens gave me meaning….those two chickens gave me something to take care of, finally without me needing to be taken care of. They helped me heal. Taking care of them gave me purpose, and they encouraged me to get back to work! God sent me those chickens!”
Ticket to Work
With encouragement coming from her family, friends, and even neighborhood chickens, Frances was ready to get back out there and continue the career she loved. She received a letter in the mail about Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program. This free and voluntary program supports career development for people with disabilities who are ready for employment. Adults ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI) qualify. Through the Ticket Program, service providers known as Employment Networks (EN) and State Vocation Rehabilitation (VR) agencies offer a range of free support services to help people prepare for, find, or maintain employment. The program is set up to help people progress toward financial independence through work.
Frances connected with The Choice Group, an Employment Network based in Richmond, Virginia. She was excited to learn of all the free help they could offer her. She worked closely with a career counselor named Jennifer. Together, they decided to begin the job search with telehealth medical jobs.
“At first, she didn’t think she could be a nurse again, so we looked into telehealth options to stay in the medical field,” Jennifer explains. “Once she got strong again, we decided to do interviews…to go back to in-person work.”
Frances was excited to pursue in-person nursing again, and she was feeling good enough physically and emotionally to make it happen with the help of her service provider and the Ticket Program.
When asked about her career development work with Frances, Jennifer said, “We worked on her resume, offered interview help, post interview debriefing, and benefits counseling”. Benefits counseling is a free service offered by some Ticket Program service providers to explain how earnings from work affect federal and state benefits.
Back on Track
After many applications, dozens of interviews, and another health setback, Frances finally received a job offer from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center as an Endoscopy Sedation Nurse in May 2022. She was thrilled to be back in the medical field!
“I saw the job on the VCU website, and Jennifer [from the Choice Group] encouraged me, told me not to give up, and believed in me! In this job, I do colonoscopies, tracheostomy changes, help in admissions, recovery, and more. I rotate to help in different stations. I’ve also trained many nurses on how to do a bronchoscopy.” (Lung scope examination.)
Frances works with a tight-knit unit where the hospital staff help each other succeed. Emold, a colleague and friend of Frances’ said, “When a new employee comes to the unit, Fran is one of the first people to introduce herself to him or her with a welcoming smile and attitude. I was incredibly surprised to learn of her significant health history. Fran works as hard….as her teammates. Fran is not a quitter; she is determined to overcome her adversities.”
Frances shows this determination each day to deal with migraines that are a result of the stroke. “At work, I stay hydrated, or I’ll get a terrible headache. I must sit down [at times] to avoid the onset of a migraine. I have the migraines, but I’ve only called off once [because of them]!”
Frances’ work as a registered nurse has caught the attention not only of her colleagues, but the patients. She won a Daisy Award for her hard work prior to the stroke, and recently won another one in her current role at the VCU Medical Center. A Daisy Award is a recognition program that celebrates nurses and thanks them for the care and kindness they provide.
Comeback: Achieving Financial Independence and Setting New Goals
Due to her earnings from work, Frances’ SSDI benefits ended in December 2022, and she utilizes private health insurance through her employer.
Frances’ return to full-time work has not only made a difference in her finances, it’s made a difference in her fitness and eating routine. She wanted to get in shape and get to a healthy weight range. “I’m in the gym three times a week, and the other days I’m working 4-10 hour shifts... I’m getting my health back!” She also started gardening.
Now that Frances no longer relies on SSDI, she is revisiting some travel goals she’s always had. “I’m planning to visit Tuscany in Italy. This is an immediate goal!”
Full-time work has also sparked another career goal. Frances is considering going back to school to become a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). This is an advanced practice registered nurse who administers anesthesia and other medications.
Frances is very grateful for Ticket to Work. “I would recommend Ticket to Work 1,000%! They are patient and help with any issues you have that may be holding you back. I’m happy The Choice Group and Ticket to Work exist. I’m living proof you can transition back to work. I’m so glad I’m stubborn; I didn’t quit.”
Frances achieved her goals — and with support from the Ticket Program, yours could be within reach too. To learn more about the Ticket to Work Program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842. For callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, call 1-866-833-2967 (TTY). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. ET; or visit https://choosework.ssa.gov.