Nationwide — Fifteen nurses at a children’s hospital in Spokane, Washington, have all been fired after a 12-year-old African American patient, Sarah Niyimbona, died by suicide despite being under 24-hour supervision. A lawsuit alleges staff failed to stop her from leaving the facility undetected.
Sarah had been in and out of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital since late 2023, following multiple suicide attempts, according to WLBT. In April 2024, she was admitted again and placed under constant monitoring.
Court filings claim the hospital removed both the healthcare worker assigned to watch her and the video surveillance system in her room before the incident.
On April 13, Sarah reportedly walked out of her room without staff noticing. She wandered through the hospital and reached the fourth floor of a connected parking garage. There, she jumped and sustained fatal injuries.
In the aftermath, Sacred Heart terminated 15 nurses and disciplined another over questions about how Sarah was able to leave her room. The nurses’ union confirmed they have filed a grievance, a process that may take a long time to resolve.
Sarah’s family remembered her as a “shining light” who “touched the hearts of everyone she met.” A GoFundMe campaign created in her honor has raised nearly $11,000 to help cover medical costs and legal fees.
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