New TMU grad defies the odds to become a nurse
He was told he might never walk. Now he’s about to graduate as a nurse.
At 18 months old, Levar Bailey was paralyzed by a tumour pressing on his spine. Doctors gave him slim odds of surviving surgery. He not only survived, he eventually walked again.
This month, he’ll walk across the stage at TMU as a 2026 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) graduate.
“From that moment on, I knew I wanted to get into health care and give back to the world that gave me another chance at life.”
A setback becomes a stepping stone
Getting into nursing wasn’t straightforward. Bailey applied to TMU’s Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing – a highly competitive program – and he didn’t get in on his first try.
He didn’t quit.
Instead, he upgraded his high school marks and enrolled in the Mental Health and Addictions certificate at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at TMU, taking university-credit courses to demonstrate his ability to thrive in a post-secondary program.
“This is not like a roadblock, this is not where the road ends, this is just a detour on my journey towards greatness.”
He took a second shot at a nursing career and was accepted into the competitive program, following in his mother’s footsteps. Annette Bailey is TMU’s associate dean of graduate studies and internationalization in the Faculty of Community Services and a professor at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at TMU.
“My mom is my greatest champion and supporter,” he says. “She has always advocated for me and was the one that encouraged me to use continuing education as a bridge to university.”
TMU’s Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing is one of Canada's largest nursing degree programs, providing practical training in clinical placements and state-of-the-art simulation labs and preparing nursing leaders committed to playing an integral role in shaping our health care future.
Giving back to the next generation
The severity of his condition and risky spinal surgery at 18 months old meant years of careful monitoring. Yearly reassessments were required with his surgeon at SickKids Hospital to ensure there were no complications or signs of relapse. During one of those visits at the age of 12, he came to a significant realization.
His surgeon often asserted Bailey’s outcome as the best case scenario and one of his greatest professional health-care success stories. It was then that Bailey fully understood the magnitude of what he had overcome and the life changing impact of the care he received.
Bailey didn’t wait until graduation to make an impact.
Last spring, he spoke at the final Future of Healthcare panel series – a partnership between TMU’s School of Medicine, Faculty of Community Services and the Peel District School Board (PDSB).
The program is designed to expose students to different career paths in health care. It also aims to provide diverse health-care professional role models so that students from the same backgrounds and communities can see themselves reflected on the stage in critical health-care roles.
“It’s not about where you start, it’s about where you end up,” Bailey advised Peel Region youth. “You might be on a journey right that is not very straightforward, and you’ve gone through adversity, and you’re feeling discouraged at the thought of being a nurse or doctor. I don’t care what everyone else has told you up until this point, you can always be the person you want to be.”
Bailey knows the impact role models and mentorship can have, and the importance of breaking down barriers to make the medical field more representative of the populations it serves.
“In elementary school, speakers who talked to us about their careers helped me to visualize myself in those same spaces,” he says.
TMU nursing student Levar Bailey facilitated an interactive workshop at the final PDSB Future of Healthcare event, providing insights on emergency medicine and collaborative care.
Bailey made a strong impression, making them feel seen and valued, and emboldening them to advocate for themselves and never give up. He wants young people to recognize their potential and confidently seize opportunities when they arise.
“The future of healthcare is you and me,” he told them.
Intervention and community care
Bailey also spent two years as a clinical extern in the emergency department at St. Michael’s Hospital, where he also volunteered with THRIVE (Toronto Hospital-based Reducing Injury from Violence Intervention and Evaluation).
The program supports at-risk youth affected by gang and gun violence, helping them break the cycle through wraparound care that includes housing, mental health services and access to education.
A defining strength of THRIVE is its emphasis on continuity of care beyond hospital discharge, paired with deep collaboration between nurses, physicians and youth workers. The initiative is co-led by emergency physician Dr. Carolyn Snider alongside Bailey’s mother, Annette Bailey, whose research focuses on gun violence prevention and survivorship.
An associate dean at TMU’s Faculty of Community Services, Annette Bailey contributes to violence prevention strategies at municipal, national and international levels.
What’s next for Bailey
Bailey’s story is one of second chances, both given and taken.
His understanding that his recovery was nothing short of miraculous, and his firsthand experience of the impact health-care professionals can have, inspired him to give back in the same meaningful way as a nurse.
He is committed to making a difference and promoting health equity, particularly for underserved communities.
“I realized that nursing allows me to be most effective in what matters to me,” he says. “Nursing is a profession rooted in humanity, and that is something I strongly believe in.”
