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After a 12-year-old patient at a Washington state children’s hospital in the United States committed suicide, over a dozen nurses were fired and another penalized.

After leaving her ward at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane and leaping from the fourth level of a parking garage, Sarah Niyimbona passed away on April 13. She had attempted suicide several times in 2024 and was brought to the emergency department.

Her family filed a complaint alleging that the hospital neglected to provide proper supervision on the night of her death and removed important safety precautions, such as a door alarm, a video monitor, and a 24-hour sitter, despite her history of self-harm.

“I ask what happened. How come she left the room without anybody seeing her? How come she walked all the way to the elevator without anybody seeing her?” her mother, Nasra Gertrude, said. “They haven’t given me any answer at all. I trusted this hospital to take care of my daughter.”

In response to inquiries regarding how Niyimbona managed to escape her room unnoticed, fifteen nurses were fired and one was penalized. According to hospital officials, the nurses may have violated federal privacy rules by inappropriately accessing her medical information while not actively participating in her care.

Staff members who talked to the media following the event were targeted for retaliation, according to the Washington State Nurses Association, which is representing the employees. The nurses have filed a grievance, according to the union, and it may take a while to settle.

According to a Providence representative, the hospital takes “appropriate action” when necessary and the terminations were made to preserve patient privacy.

The circumstances surrounding Niyimbona’s death are currently being looked into by the state Department of Health. Providence claims that since then, it has put additional measures in place, such as screening all patients for suicide risk and finding missing people.

As a “shining light,” Niyimbona “touched the hearts of everyone she met,” according to her legacy.

Her sister, Asha Joseph, said, “We’re confused how this could happen. We want to know why there wasn’t anyone watching her and how she was able to leave.”

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