...In October a HUH nurse exhibited extraordinary heroism and compassion when she assisted the Philadelphia Fire Rescue team in saving a young girl's life. Brandee Neiderhofer, BSN, a nurse on the 21st floor Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, was driving along and noticed a large group of people standing on the side of the road looking down an embankment at what she assumed was an accident. When she saw that the guard rail was broken along the side of the road and that EMS was not on the scene she immediately pulled over and went to assess the situation. As she got to the edge of the embankment she saw a truck that had flipped over several times and ended up at the bottom of the ravine. Brandee immediately leaped into action, assessing the situation and preparing to assist whomever may have been involved in the horrific accident. She slid down the hill, climbed in the back of the cab of the truck and found a 17 year old girl pinned under the steering wheel. The victim was vomiting blood and was struggling to breathe because the steering wheel was pressing forcibly upon her chest. Knowing she needed to act fast, Brandee grabbed the steering wheel and pushed with all her might in an attempt to relieve pressure from the girl's chest. Her critical thinking and quick actions enabled the young girl to breathe again. Once she realized that the victim's breathing was somewhat stabilized, she decided to stay with the girl and monitor her until the fire rescue team arrived. She never left the young girl's side, assisting fire rescue in the removal of the critically injured girl from the vehicle.

After the fact, Brandee had this to say about the incident:

"There was a bunch of people stopped on bicycles. Everyone was looking over the railing. I just went down there, there was another doctor running too, we went down to help her. It was a tight fit, everything was smashed around her. She was scared, she was talking but she was scared."

As if she did not show enough stamina that day, Brandee then went on to work a full 12 hour shift at Hahnemann. Her actions are commendable! The selfless and courageous acts of this Hahnemann nurse are truly inspiring. Brandee Neiderhofer exemplifies the heart and soul of what it means to be a nurse and we are extremely proud to have her as a member of our healthcare team.

All in a days work for an extraordinary Hahnemann nurse!