Oncology nurse became a cancer patient — and found strength in those she cared for
By Cameron Polom
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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (KNXV) — For more than 30 years, Vicki Aime has been helping cancer patients navigate some of the hardest days of their lives.
As an oncology nurse with HonorHealth in Scottsdale, she’s spent decades offering comfort, answering questions, and helping patients find hope during treatment.
Then, two years ago, everything changed.
After discovering a lump just weeks after a routine mammogram came back normal, Vicki was diagnosed with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer.
Suddenly, the nurse became the patient.
The months that followed included chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and additional treatment after doctors discovered the cancer had spread to her lung.
But Vicki never stopped showing up.
She continued caring for patients throughout her own cancer journey, often finding purpose in helping others even on her toughest days.
What she didn’t expect was how much her patients would help her in return.
As word of her diagnosis spread, many began checking on her, praying for her and encouraging her through treatment. The bond between nurse and patient became something deeper — a shared understanding of the fear, uncertainty, and hope that come with a cancer diagnosis.
Today, Vicki’s cancer is in remission.
Her experience has changed the way she cares for patients, giving her firsthand insight into the emotions they face every day.
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