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Chesterfield nurse surprised with car parade celebrating retirement after 52 years

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Posted at 10:23 AM, Jan 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-06 10:23:42-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A Chesterfield nurse was celebrated with a surprise car parade after finishing her final shift Tuesday evening.

Friends, family and neighbors celebrated Carol Smithson, a registered nurse of 52 years, outside her Chesterfield home.

"I figured I would finish my shift at 5:30. That would be the end of it," said Smithson. "I had no idea."

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Carol Smithson

Smithson's son, Trevor, set up the surprise parade.

"Oh, man. I gotta call everybody," said Trevor. "Her entire life, just spent helping people. I'm proud of her. Proud to be her son."

The newly retired nurse was surprised with flowers, balloons, and gifts.

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Carol Smithson

Smithson says she was blown away by the outpouring of love and support.

"It's so amazing when there's an outpouring of people and I mean shoot all I did was retire," she added.

Smithson says she became a nurse because she always loved to help others and she always loved jobs that were challenging.

"My mom, there's a lot of people... She's definitely done some cool stuff," said Trevor.

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Carol Smithson

Although Smithson is now a retired nurse, her passion for helping others continues.

"Foster the interactions of people with people and help them understand how tremendous they are. I think that's a good goal for retirement," Smithson added.