Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
Feb. 11, 2004
CHARLESTON, SC --Mandy Larson, RN, an MUSC neonatal intensive care nurse, will
be honored Feb. 11 by the MUSC Children’s Hospital as one of 10 nurses
in the nation to receive the 2003 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award.
She received the award in recognition of her attempt to assist in an accident
without regard to personal safety. She suffered serious injury, requiring extensive
hospitalization, but she returned to nursing as soon as she was physically capable.
On January 19, 2002, Larson finished her shift and visited her husband, Eric
Larson, a Meducare EMT, at the Meducare office several blocks from the hospital.
When an accident occurred nearby, Mandy, Eric and other health care professionals
ran to the car involved in the accident to assist any injured occupants. But
the lone occupant of the car was not injured and aimed a handgun at the group.
Anthony Pirraglia, a flight nurse, was killed, and Mandy was injured by bullets
to her hip, arm and shoulder. She lost two liters of blood and credits her husband
with saving her life.
Following extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, Mandy returned to
work, first temporarily as her health permitted. She returned full-time in November
2003. “Mandy is an amazing nurse,” said Cynthia Snyder, RN, nurse
manager of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “She has required many surgeries
over the past years and despite physical and mental trauma her primary focus
has been getting back to being a neonatal intensive care nurse. She truly loves
her babies and their families and cares about the staff she works beside every
day. She continues to overcome physical limitations without complaint while
making a difference in all she does. She has been a true role model to those
of us who are fortunate to have our health and have no physical limitations.”
Mandy said she is honored by the award. “Every day nurses go above and
beyond their normal scope of working because they love what they do. I am just
lucky enough to have a husband who felt the need to nominate me for this award.
I would like to thank all of the Meducare employees for being there and saving
my life, especially my husband, Eric. I wish they all could receive this award.
They truly were great people that night.”
There were 600 nominees nationally for the award. Recipients received a new
wardrobe of Cherokee uniforms and shoes, a glass inscribed award and a commemorative
2003 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award golden pin. In addition, winners are featured
on the 2004 Cherokee calendar”
Mandy has been with the Medical University since 1997. Prior to receiving her nursing credentials she worked in the area of radiology. In 1999 she began her MUSC nursing career, first working on a general pediatric unit and then transferring to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in 2000.
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