January 2026 Honoree
Tarah Lawless, RN
Last weekend, Tarah was taking care of a newborn and heard "something different" with the heart of the baby she was taking care of. Not sure if it was a murmur, she had multiple other staff members listen to it as well. Some staff heard it, and some didn't. The pediatrician did not hear anything either but did order an echo.
Being the weekend, no one was here at the hospital to perform an echo. The patient should have been discharged on Sunday, but it was postponed until Monday so an echo could be done.
That was the last I heard of the situation until I was scrolling on Facebook on Wednesday and saw a post that was shared by the mother of the baby asking for prayers for her baby, who, after the echo, had to be transported to the Children's Hospital of Georgia NICU. This condition in newborns was extremely rare; it's found in only 0.1% of babies. The baby needed open-heart surgery a few days later!
Being the weekend, no one was here at the hospital to perform an echo. The patient should have been discharged on Sunday, but it was postponed until Monday so an echo could be done.
That was the last I heard of the situation until I was scrolling on Facebook on Wednesday and saw a post that was shared by the mother of the baby asking for prayers for her baby, who, after the echo, had to be transported to the Children's Hospital of Georgia NICU. This condition in newborns was extremely rare; it's found in only 0.1% of babies. The baby needed open-heart surgery a few days later!
Thank you, Tarah, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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