Sarah Niyimbona, a 12-year-old girl, died at a Washington hospital in April by taking her own life, throwing herself off the fourth floor of a parking structure. Months later, amid a family lawsuit, 15 nurses have been fired, all filing grievances against the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
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As reported by The Spokesman-Review, Sarah had been admitted to Sacred Heart multiple times since late 2024. Tragically, the girl had attempted to take her life on multiple occasions.
However, on April 13, Sarah escaped the pediatric unit and walked to the fourth floor of a parking structure, the Investigate West reported. She jumped out of the structure and then died two hours later at the hospital’s emergency room.
The outlet spoke with Sarah’s family and reported that, before her death, Sarah had been monitored by a health care worker assigned specifically to her room. Moreover, video was also used to monitor the 12-year-old. However, before April 13, both the video and the worker were removed. The family didn’t find out until Sarah jumped.
Sarah’s family filed a lawsuit against Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for alleged negligence and medical malpractice. In the suit, it is alleged that the hospital “failed to properly utilize and monitor alarms in Sarah’s room.”
This, according to the lawsuit, led to the death of Sarah Niyimbona.
Nurses Fired
Ever since Sarah’s tragic death, a total of 15 nurses have been fired by Sacred Heart, and one was disciplined. According to a spokesperson, who shared a written statement with The Spokesman-Review, all nurses were terminated over “patient privacy violations.”
It is alleged by the hospital that the nurses had improperly accessed Sarah’s medical records. The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) detailed that the alleged access occurred following her death. A WSNA spokesperson said that the instances involved nurses who had worked with Sarah “hovering” over the 12-year-old’s records.
In response to the terminations, the WSNA filed grievances over their firings and disciplinary action taken by Sacred Heart.
“We reject Providence Sacred Heart’s claims that privacy was violated by nurses who were doing their jobs to assist in efforts to save the life of a 12-year-old girl in the hospital’s care,” WSNA Director David Keepnews said.
Furthermore, it is alleged by the WNSA and the nurses that the firings were not for HIPAA violations. Instead, they acted as retaliation after the nurses spoke with media outlets about Sarah, the lawsuit alleged.
Nodell believes that the grievances “could take a long time” to be resolved. Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by Sarah’s family is still open.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support Sarah’s family and cover lawyer fees.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.