When our son was scheduled to have open heart surgery for his complex heart condition in November 2018, we knew it would be tedious and risky. We knew there might be complications which could extend his expected 2-week stay to four weeks or even more. Never could we have anticipated what actually came to pass: 338 days inpatient in the pediatric cardiac ICU.
Our son's time in the PCICU was characterized by one complication after another—MRSA pneumonia, six weeks on VA and VV ECMO, several washouts, multiple infections, a g-tube, a tracheostomy, self-amputating digits, and even gallbladder surgery. But as difficult as this past year has been for our son and our family, it has also been a year characterized by unparalleled professionalism and care by the staff at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. At the top of this list of people we will be forever indebted to is one of T's primary PCICU nurses, Sarah Tolan.
It is hard to come up with a single story to tell to exhibit the level of care Sarah gave to our son because it seemed she was part of every story. For 11 months, she immersed herself in T's care, memorizing his long and winding history and tirelessly tending to his very complex needs. T proved to be the exception to many medical rules, and his needs often stumped his extremely bright and skilled team. When there were more questions than answers, Sarah dug in all the more, searching his chart and talking through possible causes and effects, all in an effort to give him the best possible, most personalized care. Not only that, but she made the hospital feel like home for T and for us and our other three children. She was T's "person", the face he looked forward to seeing, the smile and voice he knew he could count on, even when he couldn't smile or talk in return. She changed thousands of diapers, gave hundreds of Lovanox shots, got him up and out of bed no matter the extra time or effort it took. She took him on wagon rides, washed his hair, played play-doh, and held his hand while he endured yet another wound vac change. She sang songs and wore silly hats and told him he was strong and brave.
I cannot tell you one story about Sarah Tolan because this woman is our Vanderbilt story. She is one of the reasons our son is alive and home with us now, and one of the only reasons he endured the trauma of the past year with a smile on his face. We could never thank Sarah enough for what she's done for us. But recommending her for this award to recognize her tireless devotion to her profession and her patients is a start.