Background: Sacred Heart Children”s Hospital in Spokane, Wash. (Google Maps). Inset: Sarah June Niyimbona (GoFundMe).
The family of a young girl from Washington state who took her own life under 24-hour supervision has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital involved. Following media coverage of the incident, the hospital terminated 15 nurses.
The lawsuit, as reviewed by Law&Crime, reveals that 12-year-old Sarah June Niyimbona began suffering from severe depression in September 2024. Her mother, Nasra Gertrude, sought medical assistance, leading to Sarah’s admission in January to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington. She was there for “inpatient psychiatric services for her depression, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors.”
Her treatment plan mandated constant supervision by medical staff to protect her from hurting herself. The lawsuit claims that the hospital removed both the supervising employee and the video surveillance equipment from Sarah’s room.
On April 13, Sarah managed to exit her room and wander “freely” through the hospital. She ultimately reached the fourth floor of the parking structure and jumped off.
The lawsuit mentions that although the impact was not instantaneously fatal, Sarah suffered “catastrophic lower extremity injuries.” In her last moments, the hospital’s efforts to save her were unsuccessful, and Sarah “endured fear, pain, and suffering.”
According to the lawsuit, the hospital and employees tasked with watching Sarah were negligent in their care and directly responsible for her death.
Months after the incident, The Spokesman-Review, a local news source, reported on Aug. 8 that 15 nurses were dismissed from Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, with another staff member disciplined. The newspaper noted the dismissals were due to violations of HIPAA laws, as the nurses accessed Sarah’s confidential medical records posthumously.
In response, the Washington State Nurses Association filed a grievance on behalf of the nurses, saying that the terminations were retaliation for the nurses speaking to the media after Sarah’s death. A spokesperson for the WSNA also noted that the nurses were “responding to a crisis” after the tragedy took place and were collecting information related to Sarah’s case.
WSNA director David Keepnews said in a statement that the nurses were “called in to assist with care and provide information related to a patient’s treatment” during a crisis situation. He added, “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.”
The lawsuit filed by Gertrude in May does not mention the firings, nor does it call for the firings of any hospital employees. On Aug. 7, the hospital filed its answer to the lawsuit and denied the allegations made. Attorneys representing the hospital also requested a jury trial, currently scheduled for July 2026.
