Bloomsburg University nursing student Kayla Spiker passed away on February 14, 2022, after losing a short lived battle with cancer.

Kayla was born in Danville on Aug. 2, 2001, a daughter of Matthew Spiker of Johnstown and Sharon Spiker of Bloomsburg.

Kayla’s mother Sharon was kind enough to share some words about the type of person she was.

“Kayla was the kindest person you could have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She got diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in August of 2020. She loved to shop, hang out with friends, and dreamed of becoming a nurse. She strived to do her best being on the dean’s list with a 3.8 GPA.”

According to an email sent from Bashar Hanna, On February 6th, 2022, Provost Diana Rogers-Adkinson, and Dr. Lori Metzger “joined with Kayla and her family to perform the Nursing Pinning Ceremony and confer her Bachelor of Nursing Degree.”

“I can say it was an honor to be able to present Kayla with her degree. She was a strong spirit and wanted to be a nurse more than anything. It was a privilege to help her accomplish that goal,” said Provost Rogers-Adkinson.

In a heartfelt email, nursing department chair Dr. Lori Metzger spoke highly about the type of student that Kayla was:

“Kayla was very well respected by her peers and faculty alike. She was always described as a kind, nice, sweet person. She was a member of the Student Nurses Association (SNA) and was helpful to anyone around her.

She wanted more than anything to be a nurse and put her whole effort into her classes and clinical. She was part of the White Coat ceremony in September 2021 along with her peers which marked the beginning of their clinical experiences in nursing education at BU. She was a strong student and her last semester with us resulted in a 3.8 GPA – Summa Cum Laude!

Her smile said it all. She connected with everyone quickly and happily, never complaining about her condition. She worked very hard in her academic study even with a significant illness, making her a very impressive young woman. She will certainly be missed.”

Friends and family rallied together and raised $23,385 to help Kayla’s family cover medical costs and other costs of living, according to GoFundMe. You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking the hyperlink attached.

The Voice will provide updates on Kayla’s passing as they are announced.