LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky spring class of 2023 graduates shifted their tassels at the Central Bank Center this weekend, and it was where one student’s journey came full circle.
When the chance to take on college came for Elizabeth Buckles, a young woman in the U.S. Army, it was something she would consider a full swing. However, her life and schedule would soon grow after she and her spouse, Tylor, welcomed a new addition, Thomas James Buckles, who they call “TJ.”
“Once he was home, I mean, we just packed up and did it. I mean, there was just, it wasn’t another option, was there? You came with us and we did it, right?” Buckles said to her son.
Though being a mom would be a test of its own while pursuing her bachelor’s in community development, she would also face the impact of the pandemic and what could be a tremendous risk for medically susceptible individuals like her son.
She says when she was a student, as a full-time mom and wife, it was a challenge like any, but her son, TJ, would drive her to work for more. Two-year-old TJ was born at sixteen weeks old, which led to several long-term medical conditions and he had extra visits to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
“I wanted to make sure that if I had the opportunity to continue school that I would, and you know, he really kind of inspired me with his fights over the nine months he was in UK’s NICU.” Buckles explained.
When times become challenging, she said the test to finish school, work, and be a medical mom were put into play. At times, she says it was alarming. But professors who she says helped greatly made all the difference.
“There were many nights when he had scary episodes, and we thought that we would lose him,” she said.
She and Tylor were able to dedicate time to all of life’s needs while she was in class.
Both say TJ is growing each day, now hitting major milestones. They say he has even garnered a Facebook following on his page, The Adventures of Thomas James. She describes him as her world.
“Loving, just crawling and figuring out how to talk… and he’s just got such a personality,” she said. “He’s had such a personality since day one.”
Buckles says though her road to success has been unexpected, some vast opportunities and resources make the journey easy.
“You can go back to school, you can have a job, and be fortunate to be able to complete the things that I have. But I think there are so many more opportunities out there for parents like us that maybe it just seems so overwhelming at first that we can’t do it, but you can,” Buckles said.
Tylor says Elizabeth surprises him each day.
“It’s not every day you find a woman with as much strength as she has to go through what she wants to go through,” he said.
Buckles walked across the stage at Rupp Arena along with thousands of grads. She plans to use her story to change the lives of others.
Tylor, already invested in childhood care and who she says helped her along the way, is starting a nursing program next fall at UK, with their son’s inspiring story as his motivation.