Helen Nolan

I grew up in a house with no running water until the age of nine. My childhood was hard, and I knew early on that I wanted a better life, one where I could build something meaningful, not just for myself, but for any child I might have someday.

When I received my Morrison Visa, everything changed. I joined the U.S. Army and served with pride, traveling to Ecuador and Colombia and living all over the United States. The military gave me discipline, direction, and perspective. After my service, I returned to New York and settled in Queens, where I trained as a nurse and EMT.

On my second day in New York, I took the ferry to Liberty Island and climbed to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, by myself. I stood there looking out, and I knew in my heart I was free. That moment will stay with me forever.

“I became a 9/11 first responder. That day changed everything for me, and it deepened my love for this country.”

I developed several serious health conditions as a result, including a brain tumor diagnosed in 2007, two spinal surgeries, and four certified 9/11-related illnesses. I continue to receive care from the Mount Sinai WTC program. Being a single mother throughout all of this has been incredibly challenging, but I never gave up.

I raised my son alone, and I did everything I could to give him the kind of life I never had. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Sports Management and went on to Georgetown Law for his master’s. He has worked for the Eagles, the New Jersey Devils, the Knicks, and the Rangers. That’s the American dream, not just for me, but for him. My dream was to give him a childhood I never experienced, and I did that. Thanks to this visa.

I now live in Orange County and work at Rockland Psychiatric Hospital. I’m a proud American citizen. The Morrison Visa gave me a chance at life. It saved me. It gave me the freedom to leave behind a bleak past, the tools to overcome trauma, and the opportunity to raise a remarkable son.

I will never take that for granted.