He's met countless patients as teens and adults. Starnes has performed about 9,000 surgeries during his 30 years at CHLA. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today." "You were my heart surgeon almost 25 years ago. "I just wanted to thank you so much," she said. Starnes, do you have a moment?" she asked, her voice trembling. Starnes," he said, prompting Sarah to whip her head around.Īfter both finished with their patients, Sarah followed Starnes into the hall. As she treated one, a doctor entered to see the other patient.
In June 2021, she was working in a room that included two patients. She'd considered sending a letter, but it felt awkward, and she wasn't sure what to say. While Sarah always remembered her vow to thank Starnes, she never had.
She was able to switch to the cardiac ICU a few months later. At the time, all new nursing graduates were doing COVID-19-related work, such as screenings and vaccinations. She landed a job at her most coveted place – the same hospital where she'd had her surgery. In April 2020, Sarah graduated from college with a bachelor's in nursing and became a registered nurse. Starnes." With every achievement, Starnes' role was always acknowledged. For instance, when Sarah's track team set a record, her parents congratulated her, followed by, "You've come so far, thanks to Dr. Starnes remained a touchstone in her life. She wanted to become a nurse and help families like hers. Knowing that Sarah dreamed of working in medicine, the nurse gave Sarah a doll to demonstrate everything she would be doing for Manny. One of them paid special attention to Sarah. Then she saw how the nurses caring for Manny treated him and her family with so much care and respect. "One day you will have to thank him."īy middle school, Sarah wanted to become a heart surgeon, just like Starnes. "This man saved your life," Sarah's mother, Shelley, would say to her, pointing to the image. One of the photos was a portrait of Starnes. This meant always passing walls decorated with photographs of important events and people in the history of the hospital. He was treated at CHLA, just as Sarah had been.Īt the hospital, the family always used the same elevator. Sarah also grew up with a younger brother, Manny Jr., who was born with several issues that required frequent medical attention. Alongside soccer and tennis, she added a love of snowboarding and surfing. Her parents were somewhat reluctant to allow her to play sports, but once they did, she jumped right in. Annual checkups with a cardiologist were about the only reminder. Sarah grew up hardly thinking about her dramatic start to life. Vaughn Starnes told her parents that things went even better than expected. She needed open-heart surgery.Īfter 12 hours in the operating room, pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Both congenital heart defects prevented proper blood flow. One valve was deformed and the other was overly narrow. The trouble involved two valves in the newborn's heart. So they arranged for her to be flown to nearby Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She Did – As His Colleague.įRIDAY, (American Heart Association News) - Hours after Sarah Hernandez was born in La Verne, California, doctors diagnosed problems with her heart – problems they couldn't fix. AHA News: She Wanted to Thank the Surgeon Who Saved Her Life as a Baby.
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