Sara’s Story
By Jeanne R. Sievers, RN

It was the very first day at a new school for Sara and me. I was the new high school nurse and Sara was the new ninth grader from a small town. The size of this urban school and the large amount of students enrolled was a little overwhelming for both of us.

The first day started with several crises at once. The first visitor to my health office was a ninth grader. She had a history of grand mal seizures and was having a rather severe episode. She went into status epilepticus and an ambulance was called. Next, an assistant principal brought a male student to me who was very upset (his brother had attempted suicide) and slept in the dugout at the baseball field on campus all night. Another student was vomiting with a high fever. Then Sara and her mom walked into my office. This all happened at virtually the same time.

Sara was a beautiful young girl with long brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. In my office, she was in tears and clinging to her mother who was also in tears. Her mother was obviously in great emotional pain over her daughter's unhappiness. Sara seemed very young, very innocent and terrified to be at such a large and unfamiliar campus. Mother and daughter waited patiently as I triaged my patients. Finally, I was able to talk with them and assess their situation.

Sara's mother explained that she was recently divorced and had just moved to the city from a small town with a small school. Sara didn't want to leave her friends, her family and the comforts of her old home and school. The weekend before school started she was extremely depressed and tried to end her life with an overdose of pills. She ended up in the hospital that weekend.

When I looked at the desperation in the eyes of both Sara and her mom my heart was overwhelmed with compassion and concern. I explained that I would take care of Sara that first terrifying day. I told Sara it was my first day too, and we would work through it together. When Sara said she didn't have anyone to eat lunch with, I let her know that I didn't have anyone to eat with either. I suggested that she eat with me in my office and she reluctantly agreed. I assured her mother that Sara would be okay and sent her on her way home.

My nephew was also a freshman on campus and I knew a few of his friends. I asked that they befriend Sara and asked each of her teachers to be particularly sensitive to her situation.

Sara arrived in my office at noon and we had lunch together. I tried to make her feel emotionally safe with me. She was very quiet and withdrawn but seemed to be doing okay. I told her we would make it through today a period at a time and then we would take it a day at a time. I went on to encourage her and tried to be sympathetic to her situation. The second day of school we continued our regimen and she seemed just slightly better.

A day or two later, I was picking up my son at middle school when I heard a loud yell: "Hey, Mrs. Sievers!" I looked across the parking lot and there was Sara and her mom picking up her younger brother. She and her mom had big smiles on their faces! I waved enthusiastically and was fully aware that I had a smile on my face as well.

As the year continued, Sara improved both academically and socially. She became very involved and successful. She was my student aide, was a delightful young lady and blossomed into a beautiful woman both inside and out.

On the first school day of the following year, when Sara was a sophomore, she and her mother sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers in appreciation of what I had done for Sara. They attached a card that read: "Please know that you will be in our thoughts and prayers today and many tomorrowsand also for all the new students like Sara was last year, full of fear and anxieties. I know the Lord will lead those to you who need your special touch. Thanks again for being there when Sara needed you. To look at her now, you would never imagine what she was like at this time last year.
Love, Karen and Sara."

The story does not end there. Sara and I had our first day at this high school in the fall of 1990. On the first day of school for the past twelve years every year since 1990I receive a glorious bouquet of flowers from these special people expressing their gratitude for the compassion and concern I showed Sara. I am so busy on that crazy first day of school that I am amazingly surprised when the flowers and special note arrive. My tears of joy and humility remind me of the incredible difference we can make in just one child's life. At the start of each year, this family's generous and appreciative hearts take me back to my first day on the job as the new high school nurse. From the moment those flowers arrive I am energized and encouraged to take care of "my kids" in whatever capacity I can.

Some days, in a school of 2200 students, my job can be extremely challenging and my patience can run thin. But when I think back to that very first day of school in 1990, I smile and say to myself, the next kid that walks into my office could be another Sara.

I am so grateful for Sara because she taught me so much about being a school nurse. It isn't just about taking care of physical needs, immunization laws and screening kids for vision, hearing and scoliosis. School nursing is about listening and genuinely caring for a child. As for Sara, she is now happily married to a wonderful man and has two beautiful children. We continue to stay in touch.