‘Right Place at the Right Time’: Off-Duty OhioHealth Nurse Helps Car Crash Victim
We all have days in our lives that did not go as planned or end the way we thought they would.
There are some days where you may interact with people you never expected to meet, or you may visit places you never planned to go. Every so often, we may look back on those days and wonder, ‘was that meant to be?’
For Haley White, a mother, a nurse, and an Air Force veteran – a day like that is still fresh in her mind. And it’s a day she won’t soon forget.
After serving in the Air Force straight out of high school for nearly 7 years – which included a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 -- White knew she wanted to return home to Marion.
“I wanted to be home to be with my family. My home is Marion, Ohio,” White said.
White also knew exactly what it was that she wanted to do when she was home and ready to put down some roots. She wanted to be a nurse.
In 2015 she started working at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital as a surgical technician while attending Marion Technical College. By 2017 – armed with her additional experience from years before as an orthopedic surgical technician in the Air Force, she was now working in Marion General Hospital’s Emergency Department as a nurse. It’s where she still works today.
Fast forward to this month – a moment transpired that she said will stay with her forever.
“It’s actually kind of crazy, I was supposed to be at work. I had picked up an extra shift at the hospital,” White explained. “But then, my daughter was sick with respiratory issues, so I needed to take her to urgent care.”
White never made it to work that day – a career where caring for people and saving lives is all part of the job. But she would end up assisting someone in their worst moment, anyway.
It was Wednesday, Nov. 6. White was driving back home with her daughter, after going to urgent care, when she saw another vehicle lose control and crash.
“I wanted to make sure the person inside was OK,” she said. “I assessed the situation, determined it was safe for me to park the car and I told my daughter I’d be right back.”
White said she noticed the person in the vehicle was injured and struggling to breathe. She called 911.
At that moment, another stranger was standing by.
“I said, ‘hold my phone’ to the person standing beside me and I unbuckled the seat belt and pulled the injured person out of the car and started CPR.”
White continued CPR until EMS crews arrived.
“I hope I gave that person a fighting chance,” she said. “I just keep thinking to myself, ‘I was supposed to be at work.' But I was at the right place at the right time."
As an Air Force veteran, White served our nation. Now as a nurse and a mother – she is committed to serving her family and community in courageous ways.
That one fateful day earlier this month developed into something White never expected, but she did everything she could after witnessing a car crash. She jumped into action – without giving it a second thought.
Weeks later the patient called White to say thank you. The patient had survived. While they would not like to share their name, they do say they believe White saved their life and they will be forever thankful for her.
