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Season of Miracles: Miracle Worker Carla
Published Dec. 6, 2017

Meet our miracle worker Carla! She won the DAISY award this year after saving her patient Jalen’s life.

Carla was putting Jalen’s pressure vest away after a treatment when she heard him cough. She assumed he just needed to be suctioned. But when she suctioned, she found blood. And it just kept coming. Carla found a way to suction, put pressure on the bleed, and keep Jalen's airway open while she waited for emergency responders to arrive. But when the EMTs finally arrived, Carla's work still wasn’t finished. She brought Jalen downstairs and put him on the gurney herself, all while continuing to hold his trach to the side to control the bleeding. 

As Jalen left in the ambulance, Carla sat down to collect her thoughts and, as any nurse might guess, to chart. Meanwhile, at the hospital Jalen was rushed to surgery, where his tracheoinnominate tear, which typically would have been fatal, was repaired. 

Although that day was a nightmare, Carla is overjoyed that she was there to help. When asked about saving her patient’s life, Carla said, “I was just doing what I’m supposed to do – keeping these kiddos in one piece.” While she may see it as merely what she is "supposed to do," we know that Carla is truly working miracles.