A Washington state children’s hospital is facing public outrage and legal action after the death of 12-year-old Sarah Niyimbona, who died by suicide under its care despite medical advice that she receive 24-hour supervision.
According to a lawsuit filed by her family, Sarah—described as a “shining light” who “touched the hearts of everyone she met”—was admitted multiple times to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane between late 2024 and April 2025 following repeated suicide attempts. The filing claims that, although doctors recommended constant monitoring, the hospital removed both the staff member assigned to watch her and the video surveillance system from her room.
On the evening of April 13, 2025, the lawsuit alleges, hospital staff failed to notice that Sarah had left her room. She reportedly wandered unaccompanied through the facility before reaching the fourth floor of the hospital’s parking structure, where she jumped, sustaining fatal injuries.
In the aftermath, 15 nurses were fired and one nurse was disciplined after being questioned about the circumstances of Sarah’s death, according to the Spokesman-Review.
Reports also indicate that the dismissed nurses were accused of improperly accessing Sarah’s medical records without being directly involved in her care—a potential violation of the federal HIPAA privacy law.
The nurses’ union has filed a grievance, warning the process “could take a long time” to resolve.
Sarah’s death has raised urgent questions about patient safety protocols, mental health care for minors, and the responsibility of hospitals to follow medical recommendations for high-risk children.
