Take Your Baby And Run: How nurses blew the whistle on Canada's biggest cardiac disaster

by Carol Youngson

Foreword by Lanette Siragusa, RN NM Take Your Baby and Run  is Carol Youngson's first-hand account of the shocking ineptitude and misogynistic behaviour that led to the death of twelve children, primarily infants, under the care of Dr. Jonah Odim at Winnipeg's largest hospital in 1994. Youngson was the nurse in charge of the cardiac unit and in her book she details the dysfunctional hospital hierarchy that allowed this tragedy to unfold, leading to the longest running inquiry in Canadian history. Sadly, the themes of this book are just as relevant today during our current health crisis.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Medical, Canada

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Lindsay Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the parent of two kids, this book really shook me. To entrust your child’s life in the hands of a person with extensive medical training and to have them not make it home to you is unfathomable. Yes, these children had serious heart defects, and no, it sounds like at least a couple may not have made it, regardless of where their surgeries occurred. But to hear the complete ineptitude coupled with what sounds like wanton disregard and carelessness with fragile little babies brought tears to my eyes. Thankfully the medical system hierarchy has changed a bit since these events, but even still, it feels pretty difficult to bring physicians to task if they cause serious harm (and this guy caused serious, mortal, repeated harm with his actions). All I can think of are those poor parents who lost their kids to surgeries that done elsewhere, might not have resulted in their deaths. And also, the poor nurses whose concerns were repeatedly disregarded as over emotional and uneducated. Trigger warning - the incidences are described in detail for multiple children so be warned…it’s emotional and graphic at times.

[Jen Beaudry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an OR nurse this book really resonated with me and brought back moments in my own career I felt my voice wasn’t heard. I can say first hand how difficult it is to face patients and families in their moment of crisis and not being able to say “everything will be ok”. Thank you to the nurses who were brave enough to persist and ensure their voices were heard, we have all benefitted from your courage.

[Melanie]

God bless you Carol Y, Carol D, Irene H all the other nurses mentioned and not mentioned in the book from PICU/NICU as well as the other professionals; anesthesia, surgeons, intensivists, perfusionists etc.

I am also a nurse who over my 30 plus years of nursing have worked in ICU, PACU an L and D in Winnipeg and the USA. I worked briefly with Carol Y at Women’s, Carol D for many years at Women’s and know Irene from MAPAN and a mutual friend. These ladies exceptional nurses in their roles and my heart goes out to all of you. I found each case more and more profoundly disturbing and can only imagine your moral distress as we call it in nursing (noted in the Canadian Code of ethics for registered nurses) to be a true dilemma.

I am so proud of all of you for following these strong gut feelings, instincts, principles and ethics of nursing and continuing to advocate for the patients that had passed so the future patients would be cared for by skilled, capable and caring hands.

On a personal note: I attended my first MNU HSC local 10 meeting after my return to Canada. I remember all of you sitting together looking deflated, worried and possibly put on the spot when the discussion about what to do with our surplus money. The motion to put the money towards the nurses legal fees fees for the paediatric cardiac inquest and the motion was accepted by an unanimous vote, a followed by a standing ovation and not a dry eye in the room. I will never forget that feeling of support for nursing that I felt for all of you as really it could have been any one of us. I hope that you also felt that all of your advocacy for the profession and patients was finally supported.

All the best to all of you. I was glad to read your story, even the hard parts! Melanie 🥰

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

100/100 stars.

*Trigger warning*
Infant death

I can't believe this was happening here in Canada. As a nurse I found it to be an even better read as I understood the medical terminology. Those poor families who lost children unnecessarily due to the ego of some health care providers and the reluctance to believe the nurses, mostly women, and others who time and time again waged complaints. The narrator who felt helpless and torn apart by her inability to save these babies, is a remarkable storyteller; reading her words really invokes the feeling of being right there in the operating room with her
I'm hopeful that something like this could never happen nowadays, but who is really to know for sure? 110% recommend this book.

[Jasprit J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to put the book down after reading every chapter cause it was too hard to read and way too sad. I can’t imagine being one of the nurses that experienced all of this. Thank you Carol Youngson for writing this amazing book

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, terrifying, and enlightening. I learned so much.

[Nicole Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mom of a child with a heart defect and a health care worker this book was a heavy, emotional read. However, I read it in an evening and couldn't put it down. I had previously read and learned a bit about what happened with the cardiac program in the 90s, but had never read about it detail. I'm thankful that major changes were made following the shutdown of the surgical program and inquest. The book also draws awareness to the risks of future incidents occuring in health care and how we need to safeguard against this.

One minor thing was I noticed some editing mistakes.

[Louise Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with plenty of detail. It was heartbreaking to read and I had to put it down a few times because it was frustrating to read how the families were left in the dark and how often the nurses and other members of the team’s concerns were dismissed. I was appalled to discover how little oversight and monitoring of the program there was by the hospital administration despite the complaints received. The author did a great job recounting her perspective. If only someone has listened sooner. 😞

[Eleanor With Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very gripping medical memoir. I read it in about 24 hours.

A story of extreme medical negligence from the 1990s that eventually led to a restructuring of the entire cardiac surgery system of western Canada. Nurses (and anesthesiologists) eventually got people to listen to them.

Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy from the publisher in hopes of a review.

[Kinsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a nurse myself I found this book extremely hard to read as it explained details of each case, but amazed at the bravery the nurses had in court going against their hospital. It’s sad the government would not stand behind the nurses. Amazing story so happy to have had a chance to read it.

[Jessica Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words just tears. These nurses who stood up and spoke up after going through what they did are hero’s!!

[Natalia Utko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Carol Youngson for writing this book. I can only imagine how difficult it was for you to recall the tragic events that you witnessed.

I remember briefly learning about this while in nursing school, but not to this detail.

I truly believe this book should become a part of curriculum within medical and nursing schools throughout Canada.

[Kristina H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic and dark time in Manitoba’s history. Beautifully written book summarizing the tragic deaths of twelve innocent children.

[Krystle Krystlesbookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an 80s baby who grew up in Winnipeg and very well could have been admitted to HSC in 1994 I find this story terrifying.
The book is broken down telling each childs story while in the operating room. It feels repetitive at times but I also feel like that was the point, that this kept happening. That there were constant warnings that were ignored.
I found the story well told and not bogged down with medical jargon, making it easy to read but no less heartbreaking. 💔

[Kyle James · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What an amazing book! Awful that this happened and the treatment of the nurses speaking out and advocating for these babies.

I’m glad things were able to change and prevent further deaths. It’s sad during that time no one wanted to listen or believe nurses.

Doctors listen to the nurses. 🏥

[Kyla Horbul · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ex-Winnipeg peds nurse turned (adult) OR nurse this hit close to home! A good read for the first half. My heart hurts for those families and people who were so devastatingly affected by the shortcomings of the pediatric cardiac program in the 90’s.

[Fernando Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. As a RN working in Canada I feel this book is super important to read

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Could not put this down, what a disturbing chain of events for the pediatric cardiology community. Also can’t believe this doctor is still employed

[Natalie Judson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking nursing read 🥲 Especially interesting (and scary!) for me as a baby born in this hospital (HSC in Winnipeg) in the 1990s 5 years after this story.

[Marnie Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is heartbreaking but so well written telling the story of a dark chapter in Manitoba. Carol should be very proud of her continual acts of bravery and courage during this time, the inquest, the years after and writing this book.

[Haleigh Vedovato · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a parent x healthcare professional x Canadian, this is so horrifying

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a perioperative nurse with more than 20 years of work in the field, I can verify that the struggles in bringing forth practice concerns is sadly real and even sadder that it is just as difficult now as when these horrible events occured.
The editing of this book resulted in difficulty following some of the passages.

[Shaylenne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely shook me to the core. There were many tears shed as I read the pages of this book. As a medical professional in Canada, I had no idea that this tragic time took place in the 90’s. I feel so grateful to the author for taking the time to write about this. The learning we take from this I hope will help to honour the lives lost and ensure we never have something like this happen again. I truly can’t imagine as a parent having to make the decisions faced by the parents of all of these children. To put their trust in the medical system and not be given all of the information or options is unfathomable to me. Carol Youngson writes: “I cannot imagine the stress the parents went through and the incredible sadness and guilt they experienced, likely forever after, at the loss of the one they loved most in the world. The parents of some of these children had hours or days to make a life and death decision without all the information they would need.” The author goes on to explain the hierarchy of relationships in healthcare and the tragic costs when the nurses voices aren’t heard or respected. She speaks about the current state of our healthcare system (book was published in 2023) and how cuts to the system “were chipping away at an already fragile system…nurses, doctors and other health care professionals are at the breaking point. Burnout is becoming common, nurses are leaving, not because they want to but because they have to. They can’t carry this load forever. Doctors and nurses make regular pleas to the government for help, all of which seem to fall on deaf ears.” I don’t know a nurse that this chapter won’t resonate with deeply. It’s truly heartbreaking to see what is happening to our healthcare system. She calls out some of the bandaid fixes that have been put in place that are not getting the attention they deserve: “Hospitals are spending millions on agency nurses to cover shifts. These nurses are paid more and have total control over when they work.” She spoke about how the frontline workers are not being listened to and how they are the ones to be heard if there will ever be any kind of meaningful change. She spoke of the “nurses who had to fight for proper PPE (personal protection equipment) at the onset of the pandemic.” Imagine that. Having to fight for the proper gear to protect yourself to do your work. She wrote:” I have to wonder why people who have, for the most part, never set foot in an ICU feel they should be making decisions which directly impact the patients and their caregivers. It seems that many decisions are based on political or financial reasons, not medical or scientific information.” In Chapter 25-In Celebration of Nurses she highlights so many incredible points that I can’t even begin to do them justice here. Finally, I love the “Thank you” part at the end. The author thanks their employer’s lawyers for not representing them. They were abandoned by them and thankfully in the end the nurses were represented by amazing lawyers. I should mention, there is a lot of medical information in this book. Procedures are described in great detail and the author does try to explain things during the book.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first-hand account of a significant and avoidable tragedy that ended in the deaths of 12 children and infants.

I hadn't heard of the Winnipeg pediatric cardiac deaths before this book appeared in a CBC article. I was a young kid myself when the tragedies occurred, and a province away in 1994. Now, however, 30 years later, the systemic problems that led to the dysfunction and deaths exist in different ways but still impact the lives of patients and families.

Youngson writes of her experiences during the year in Winnipeg when inexperienced doctors with little to no oversight mangled the lives of fragile and vulnerable children. Although Youngson does lay the blame most firmly at the feet of the surgeon, you can see how the system failed them all (not excusing the arrogance and ineptitude of a brash and unprofessional doctor).

This is an alarm bell to the rest of us. As we watch Danielle Smith dismantle healthcare in Alberta one institution at a time (not exactly sure why she's so evil and hates Albertans, but that's a conversation for another time), healthcare is chronically underfunded in places like Saskatchewan and Ontario. It is only a matter of time before significant tragedy befalls our most vulnerable. Indeed, I'd argue it has. After the pandemic, healthcare is still holding on by a thread. It's only because of the very good front-line staff.

Youngson, not being a professional writer, has done an admirable job of pacing the reader through the events of that year and the aftermath that followed.

[Sophie Menon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very quick read, I couldn’t put it down. It was at times very heavy to read, so many sad stories. The writing and storytelling was excellent, the explanations of the medical terminology were easy to understand enough to get what had happened to these poor babies. After researching more into this story, I only give it 4/5 because I feel like there was too much blame focused on Dr. Odim, with very little placed on hospital administration and hiring practices. Also the culture at the time, had a huge influence, and still does, I feel like this was not touched on enough. However, I can understand that as a first party viewer, it was very easy for Carol to point blame at the person who she saw doing wrong day in and day out.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains information that I think is important for people to read. Especially people who work in healthcare. I appreciate the courage it takes to stand up for what you think is right and the time and effort it took to write about it. The problem I had with this book was that it desperately needed professional editing. I found a lot of parts to be repetitive and unclear.

[Bree Bildfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

A heavy read. Tears were shed. A lot of medical language which may be too much for someone in a non-medical profession.

[Kathy Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in Winnipeg, I do remember when all the infant deaths at Health Sciences Centre came to light and the lengthy inquiry into the whole situation, but reading this book made it more pertinent than hearing about it on the news.

The author, Carol Youngson, was the senior nurse in the pediatric cardiac Operating Room so her recollections hold a lot of weight. She talks about how she came to nursing as a career, and the culture that has traditionally existed between nurses and doctors. When things didn't seem right to her in the OR, she tried to voice her thoughts but felt shut down by the surgeons who were her "superiors." Still, her vigilance was encouraged by her nurse supervisors and she kept notes on each of the operations where a death resulted. These notes were valuable when she was asked to be be one of the witnesses at the inquiry.

This story is heartbreaking. Reading how tiny babies died from cardiac surgery that was supposed to help them, made me tear up; more than once I wondered how Youngson was able to process those traumas and go on in her work. Eventually, I think, the stress was too much, leading her to seek another job in the medical field.

Is this a book worth reading? In my opinion, it is not only worth reading, but it is a book that everyone dealing with our healthcare system should read. Here we see how arrogance and blind determination can steer a program, even when it seems that everyone should take a step back and reconsider their actions. This is a cautionary tale that shows us we should not be intimidated by doctors and surgeons just because of their credentials. We need to ask all the questions and not proceed with treatment for ourselves or our loved ones until we are completely comfortable with the answers we get.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrifying story.

Nurse Carol Youngson recounts the disturbing story of incompetent doctor Jonah Odim who caused 12 infants to die in 10 months..

He was never punished for his actions that caused multiple babies to die.. and in fact still works in health care all these years later.

Jonah Odim had been described as cavalier with babies lives, struggled with basic skills that a specialized surgeon should be able to do without effort, rough and careless, miscommunicated steps and supplies needed, performed procedures without proper staff or supplies, was disrespectful and inappropriate to women, didn’t respect or understand different nurse trainings, scheduled risky surgeries on infants who were sick instead of waiting for them to be healthier, used unnecessary powerful tools on children “because it made him feel like a man”, blamed his negligence on other people, misplaced medical items and refused to xray patients to ensure it wasn’t left inside their body during surgery... He was arrogant and a fool.

He caused multiple children’s death and was so callous about it. Telling a grieving mother that she should just have more children……..

Jonah Odim was so inept that people wondered if he was an imposter who faked his extensive medical training.

He even admitted his actions contributed to some of the children’s deaths..

The book is disturbingly fascinating to read. It is written very well and extremely detailed.

“Whenever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm.”

[Amy Bertram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must commend Carol for the incredible retelling of her experience as a Cardiac Peds OR nurse in 1994. As a nurse, this story had my heart breaking, and professional values shaken. As a mother, I cried along Youngson.
It is extremely disheartening to see that the same themes and challenges we as nurses experience today were prevalent in 1994.
I highly recommend this story to any new, experienced or health care professional.