Just two years into her undergraduate degree, BYU College of Nursing alum Julie Pessetto Littledike (BS '19) lost her mother, Leslie Ann Taylor Pessetto (BS '80), to breast cancer. While going through boxes of her mother's belongings, Julie stumbled upon a precious keepsake — her mother's nursing uniform from 36 years prior.
The Pessetto family has always been tied to nursing. In fact, the profession plays an important role in the family's origin story. Nearly 80 years ago, Julie’s grandmother, Louise Dickson Taylor, was working as a nurse at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, when she met F. Willis Taylor, a BYU graduate who was in medical school. The two got to know each other during shared hospital shifts and quickly fell in love. Louise wrote about their courtship in her journal:
I guess all girls dream of finding that special person, wonder what he will look like, and have all sorts of romantic notions. Mine were all realized in Willis. His notes to me, written on tongue depressors and slipped to me in various ways, were very special.
The couple was married in September 1948. Willis became a successful family practice physician, opening his own clinic in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. Louise worked as a nurse at his clinic throughout their marriage.
With both parents immersed in healthcare, it is no wonder that their children and grandchildren grew up with an interest in medicine. Leslie followed in Louise’s footsteps and became a nurse, graduating from the BYU College of Nursing in 1980. Three of Leslie’s daughters also became nurses, with Julie and Lara Pessetto Oldham (BS ’07) graduating from the BYU College of Nursing and Amy Pessetto Beebe graduating from the University of Utah’s nursing program. The Pessetto family’s passion for serving others extends far beyond wrapping wounds and administering medication—it has allowed them to share the light of Jesus Christ with those around them.
In a recent interview with BYU College of Nursing, Julie, Lara, and Amy discussed their family’s legacy, replete with ties to nursing and BYU. The sisters never knew their Grandma Louise, who passednur away from breast cancer before they were born, but they understand what Lara described as Louise’s “legacy of always being willing to serve others.” Louise and Willis Taylor treated many impoverished patients while working in Rose Park, and they sometimes sacrificed to give free care to those who would have otherwise gone without.
Leslie was also a great inspiration to the sisters. “Mom always showed us a tradition of service,” said Amy. She recounted being a young girl and seeing her mom care for a neighbor’s baby. The parents, who were in the same ward as the Pessettos, were not sure how to treat their baby’s cradle cap and rash. Luckily, Leslie was able to help them through the stressful circumstance. Growing up in such a culture of service has been fundamental in shaping the sisters’ own desires to show Christlike charity.
The sisters’ nursing skills have come in handy in their personal lives as well. Amy cares for several elderly individuals in her ward, Julie’s postpartum nursing experience has made her a valuable resource for young mothers, and Lara’s experience in oncology allowed her to advocate for her mother’s care during cancer treatments and in Leslie’s final weeks.
Julie said that losing her mother was “a reminder of the fragility and sacredness of life.” Before she passed, Leslie told her daughters and other family members that whenever they see a rainbow, they could think of it as her saying “hello” from heaven. Sure enough, colorful rainbows have brightened the sky during many of Julie’s milestone moments, including her college graduation, wedding day, and childbirth. “Our family is a lot closer than we think,” Julie reflected emotionally.
Julie, Lara, and Amy will share their family’s rich legacy of charity, faith, and service with their own young children. In the clinic, at home, and on both sides of the veil, the Pessetto family continues to shine the light of Jesus Christ.