April Sexton is the Emergency Department Nurse at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Centre on the show Chicago Fire. She's committed and hard-working but manages to balance personal life with work duties. She is also much sought after by men on the show - first Kelly Severide, and then Ethan Choi. The dedicated nurse features in 61 episodes of Chicago Fire.
She enters the show in a fairly gentle way but leaves a big impression on fans, and adds an interesting dynamic to the unfolding of the narrative. It’s also through interactions with her that viewers learn about the true nature of certain characters, such as Kelly. Here are 10 things about April Sexton fans of the character might not know:
A good big sister
Judging by her, at times, bossiness and her superior organizational skills, it should come as no surprise that April Sexton is a big sister. She is the oldest of two children, having a younger brother, called Noah. She has made many sacrifices for her little brother, even putting her own agendas aside to help him through medical school. The determined nurse definitely shows that at the center of her success, is a big heart and loyalty towards her family.
Friends from childhood
April has strong ties in the community she serves. She and Kelly Severide are childhood friends, as evidenced by the narrative – and one of the reasons Kelly pursues her with such determination. The two have a history that stretches beyond the fringes of the series’ narrative, having known each other for years before working together as colleagues. They have a brief fling in the show and when this doesn’t quite work out, continue to maintain strong ties.
Unexpected debut
April Sexton enters Chicago Fire's narrative in a fairly gentle way. She is first mentioned when a mutual friend of her and Kelly Severide's mentions to him that she is working at Chicago Med.
Kelly is at the time serving in Squad 3. Perhaps he has always had a crush on her (since he has known her since childhood), but he heads straight for Chicago Med on hearing that she works there, and invites her for a drink at Molly's, a pub in the area. This is how fans first meet her.
She is multi-cultural
April breaks cultural boundaries all the time, even in terms of who she is and where she comes from. She is an American citizen but hails from Brazil, speaking Brazilian Portuguese and even Spanish. Then there is her choice of partners.
She dates Caucasian Kelly Severide and later, Asian Ethan Choi, and sets a fine example among her colleagues – and with viewers – that beauty is more than skin deep and that it takes all cultures and races to bring the on-screen magic to Chicago Med.
A woman worth pursuing
April is every bit the woman, in the eyes of childhood friend Kelly Severide of course. He doesn't just give up his pursuit of her. At one stage, he surprises her at work and invites her to the pub Molly's. In another episode, he asks her to attend an Eminem concert with him, to celebrate 'the good old days'.
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When this doesn't work, one of their mutual friends invites April to a breakfast gettogether and guess who is there - none other than the determined Kelly. He definitely sees something in her worth pursuing.
She is committed to her duties
Who can forget the episode in the series in which April, after going in for a routine pregnancy check and finding out her baby has no heartbeat, returns to work to fulfill her duties? This is before the standard 'abortion', or D & C can be conducted. Only later, after having done her work duties, does she then book an appointment to get her D & C done. Perhaps it is the big sister in her rising to do what is necessary to get the job done or a fair amount of denial - still, one has to take their hat off to the diligent April who maintains a level head through trying circumstances.
An immigrant
April is different from the other Chicago citizens of Chicago Med. While she has grown up in Chicago, there is something somewhat set apart about her. This is because she has been born to a family that has immigrated to the US from South America. Being of Brazilian origin, April has the dark, exotic coloring of her family's country of origin. She also has the added advantage of being fluent in Brazilian Portuguese.
Allergy alert
As invincible as the characters viewers look up to from Chicago Med appear, they are imbued with human weakness. These weaknesses have been written into their script by directors who add quirks and flaws here and there, which make the characters more believable in terms of speaking to viewers on their level. April has a Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase A allergy. It seems a random weakness but in the context of a hospital-focussed series, it adds a measure of credibility and humanity to the character of April Sexton.
Multilingual
April is not just a woman of many talents and is definitely more than just a pretty face, as she demonstrates time and time again. She can speak many languages, other than English, owing to her upbringing and various relations. She speaks Brazilian Portuguese fluently and is also able to speak Spanish. This makes her a useful crew member as she is able to engage with various victims of trauma and injury on a meaningful level. It also adds interest to her dynamic persona.
A strong faith
April grew up in a Catholic family and has maintained strong Christian views into adulthood. When her baby's health is threatened by Tuberculosis she has contracted from a needle, she hangs onto the hope that the infant will survive, refusing to abort due to strong religious convictions. This faith is also demonstrated in her dealings with other characters and in her good work ethic and dedication to loved ones, including her little brother who she helped put through medical school.