When actress Sarah Drew joined the cast of the hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy way back in season 6, she wasn't a raging fan-favorite. Between seasons 6 and 8, she didn't get much character development. That didn't occur until season 9.
April Kepner was a character that evoked polarizing opinions in fans but, gradually, she made a place for herself on the show and even became beloved over the years. Fans stayed with this relatable trauma surgeon, but being the epitome of sweetness didn't mean that she never did anything she shouldn't be ashamed of.
Ashamed: The Way She Expected Jackson To Wait For Her After She Left
April was devastated by the death of her son, Samuel Norbert Avery, who survived only a few hours after being born with Type II Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Although she was completely justified in seeking a change of scene after the tragedy, some fans believed this lack of communication was the first sign of her and Jackson's marriage dwindling. She left for Jordan soon after and kept extending her tour.
Then, when she returned, she was ready to talk and fight for their marriage. This did seem a little unfair on Jackson, who had just begun processing his own feelings and grief after suppressing them for so long.
Proud: Putting Her Life Back Together
In season 14, April was seen to go through a crisis of faith when she began to feel that life was thoroughly unfair and that good people were suffering terribly for no good reason. For some time, she was unable to connect with God or find comfort in her faith. However, after talking to a rabbi, she eventually managed to find the answers she needed, which helped her put her life back together. Getting past such a crisis took great strength, which is something she should be proud of.
Ashamed: Blaming Bailey For Her Patient’s Bad Luck
While April was still doubting God and everything she had grown up believing in, she would often behave uncharacteristically with her colleagues.
In the episode, “One Day Like This”, this is where April met the rabbi, Eli, who was in unimaginable pain from a skin condition he had developed from some antibiotics Bailey had prescribed. His situation was extremely rare and Bailey could not have guessed that her meds would backfire.
However, April, in her disillusioned state of mind, was surprisingly mean. She yelled at Bailey for being negligent and made her feel ten times more guilty than she already was.
Proud: Enlisting As An Army Surgeon
After losing Samuel, April ended up going to Jordan with Owen to go help with fix the injuries the soldiers experienced on the frontlines. For someone who is usually so meek and docile, April was the last person fans expected to enter a warzone. However, this didn't stop them from admiring her courage and bravery, especially as she served two tours and used the skills she learned in Jordan to help on her future cases.
Ashamed: Being Annoying In General
Before April Kepner had become a firm fan-favorite and sometimes even afterward, she was rather annoying with her cloying sweetness and nagging.
In fact, not all the doctors liked her as Bailey made clear multiple times. Except for Jackson and Arizona, who became a good friend, later on, April didn’t have a lot of friends at the hospital, simply because she drove people crazy with her irritating ways, however well-intentioned.
Proud: Trying To Keep The ER
Seattle Grace was going bankrupt after the doctors, including Derek and Meredith, sued it for negligence after the shocking season 8 finale.
At this time, the hospital had decided to give up its ER to cut down on expenses. Since the ER was the place where the most serious cases would arrive, it would have been a travesty to close it down. At this time, April invested a lot of time and energy, alongside Derek, to figure out a way to save the ER as well as the hospital.
Ashamed: Being Medically Negligent
April was one of the most conscientious doctors at Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan Memorial. However, when she was still an intern from Mercy West, she made a mistake that cost a woman her life.
The mistake was simple enough. April got distracted when a flood of severe trauma patients arrived following a major fire. She forgot to check a patient’s airway and intubate her, which ultimately led to the patient’s death. Although she didn’t do it intentionally, this was by far one of the worst things April did in her career.
Proud: Surviving The Accident
April Kepner was in a massive car crash in season 14 with her boyfriend, Matthew with whom she had got back together after splitting from Jackson.
The doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial were apprehensive as to whether or not she would make it, but almost by some miracle, she did. This incident was in fact the final thing that made April overcome her struggle with her faith.
Ashamed: Leaving Matthew At The Altar
Another rather shameful thing April did was to leave Matthew at the altar and elope with Jackson. As fans remember, April found herself embroiled in a love triangle after the trauma surgeon found herself torn between Jackson and Matthew.
While she did have feelings for Jackson, April decided to go ahead with her wedding to Matthew after the plastic surgeon rejected her. Then, when her wedding day arrived, Jackson decided to confess his feelings and the two ran out of the church together. Many fans that she didn’t need to break Matthew’s heart quite so spectacularly.
Proud: Becoming A Formidable Surgeon
April became a formidable trauma surgeon over the years, a specialty one wouldn’t normally have associated with someone as sensitive as her.
She had grown up on a farm and got through several obstacles, which included getting fired twice, failing her boards, a crisis of faith, as well as the death of her son. In spite of all that, she emerged as a good surgeon, something she should most definitely be proud of.