Former Janitor Becomes a Doctor at the Same Hospital Where She Once Cleaned

Dr. Shay Taylor-Allen is celebrating a near-miracle this year. In Cinderella style, she transformed from a janitor to a doctor at the very same hospital, the Yale School of Medicine. It’s a dream that she never imagined would come true.

Young Woman Goes From Janitor to Doctor—At The Same Hospital She Started At

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Shay started working at the hospital as a janitor when she was just 18. She was also born there. It was her first residency pick out of ten hospitals.

“When I started my job as a janitor…this was kind of like a job just to support me and my family,” she explained. “I did not think this would be my destiny or my journey… I could not imagine this in a million years.”

In a video of the moment she found out what hospital she’d matched to, she screamed and jumped up and down for joy.

A Not So Impossible Dream

"I am still just feeling like I'm in a dream, because I could have never imagined that I'll be going back to the same hospital I was not only born at but a janitor at, to be a doctor for my community," she said.

Shay is one of three kids born to a single mom. When her mom got sick, she decided she wanted to be a doctor.

Shay was still working as a janitor when her mom was sick and mentioned her story to the former hospital CEO, whose office she had cleaned. The CEO helped her and her family, which helped Shay see how she could advocate for and help others, too.

"I [saw] firsthand how advocacy worked, and I knew I wanted to do that one day. I was like, whoa, just reaching out to [the former hospital CEO] completely changed everything [for] my mother," she recalled.

Shay is Filling a Bigger Need in Her New Role

“Being a single mom… she could never imagine that this would be my story,” Shay said. “That her daughter would be a doctor and that my story would be this big. She’s just so excited and so amazed.”

Dr. Lisa Leffert, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine and physician-in-chief of anesthesiology at Yale New Haven Hospital, said, "We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Shay Taylor-Allen, who matched to our Yale Department of Anesthesiology Residency. She will join a community of talented colleagues who are dedicated to patient care, education, investigation, and service to our community.”

Shay wants others to know that they can accomplish big things, no matter their circumstance.

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"We can do anything that we put our minds to -- and people of color specifically, we're needed in [the medical] field," she said. "People that look like us [are] needed, and our patients are waiting for us to do it."

It’s so wonderful that Shay is able to become a resident at the very hospital where she was born and had one of her first jobs. She is already a treasured member of the community!

WATCH: Former Janitor Becomes a Doctor at the Same Hospital Where She Once Cleaned

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h/t: ABC 7

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Fox News Clips

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.