‘Extremely Caring’: Laken and Kathy are nurses, mothers and wives who put family first in everything they do

DJ and Mason Ferguson can’t imagine feeling any more blessed to have two such incredible women in his life. Together, his wife Laken and mom Kathy show him the true meaning of family-first, and they work together to take incredible care of 4-year-old Mason. Both are nurses by trade who embody the grit and selflessness needed to thrive in their careers and even more so in their families. 

Laken and Kathy put others first without hesitation, which makes them remarkable mothers and, in Kathy’s case, a loving and attentive grandmother to Mason. They coordinate their schedules to care for Mason and take him to and from school, and they promise to do the same with another baby boy, Cal, due to arrive soon.

Put simply, Laken and Kathy are cut from the same cloth, all the way down to their ability to look after their oldest “children” in their husbands, D.J. and Doug. 

“They have many parallels,” D.J. said. “They are both nurses. They both graduated from UCF with nursing degrees, and they both spend a lot of time keeping their husbands in line, especially when they come home from the 19th hole on the golf course. 

“They are both extremely caring and thoughtful and they also share a lot of the same opinions. Both of them always put their families first.”

Kathy has worked in Labor & Delivery for 30 years, and Laken has been in the Observation unit for nearly 10 years. They both work 12-hour shifts and coordinate their schedules to share responsibilities getting Mason to school and back. In many respects, Mason is at the center of both of their worlds, and they work in tandem to care for him and “spoil” him, DJ says.

DJ feels spoiled by them, too, and knows first-hand how lucky his son is. Two of the most caring, loving women he has ever known give all their attention to Mason and work so well together to give him all the love he could ever ask for … and then some.

“He has everything and both of our houses are full of toys,” DJ said. “They sacrifice a lot of free time to spend time with Mason, especially when I’m at work or playing golf. Laken asked Mason who his best friend was the other day and he said Nana. Cutest thing ever.”

The time and dedication that Laken and Kathy pour into Mason is truly remarkable, but also not the least bit surprising in DJ’s eyes. He recalls having the same positive childhood experience growing up with his mom and dad. He also knows first-hand just how instinctive Laken is, and could see it before anyone knew she was pregnant with Mason. 

That was in the Bahamas, when Laken was feeding DJ drinks because, after trying for months, she just knew she was pregnant. And she was right. 

“She was secretly handing me all of her drinks because after months of us trying, she finally had a feeling,” DJ said. “Needless to say, I got hammered.”

Since then, DJ has been blown away by all the things that Laken just seems to inherently know or understand, particularly about building such a special relationship with Mason. And DJ continues to learn from both his wife and his mother what it means to work hard yet still put family first and be the best possible parent and spouse he can be.

DJ says he always knew that he and Laken would end up together, even as high school friends who shared an emotional day when he left for college. From that moment forward, they grew closer and closer, and DJ has had a front-row seat to watch Laken become the spectacular woman, wife, mother, nurse and friend that she is today.

“I knew she was the one for me the day I left for college in Tennessee,” he said. “We said our goodbyes the night before and then she surprised me at my house the morning I left. She cried tears the whole time and that’s when I knew. She was 16 years old when we first started dating so I’ve literally witnessed her become a woman from a girl and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Laken and Kathy both set an incredibly high bar by the way they invest in their families. DJ got a good look at that reliability in the way he and his mom forged a relationship through amazing experiences they shared together. But he also looks back at the simple things he and his mom did, like the drives to and from practices, that are also unforgettable. 

Being present, he came to learn, is the greatest gift he can give to his own son.

“What makes both of them great mothers, wives, and a grandmother is the way they put their families’ needs first,” DJ said. “Their personal needs come second. And it’s humbling to see how much time and dedication they give to Mason. They are both always there when we need them.

“They both keep me in line and bring me back down to Earth when I need it. They also both instill confidence in me when I need it. Even the small things go a long way.”

The biggest compliment DJ can pay both his wife and his mother is to say that they share the same set of hard-to-find qualities. They make him a better person and they come together to create memories with Mason and teach him principles that will stay with him forever. 

From DJ’s point of view, there could be no more shining example of incredible motherhood, and he and Mason are lucky enough to have two of them in their lives. 

“Both of these women are the two most important people in my life,” DJ said. “Their love and dedication to their family is what motivates me to be the best person I can be.”