KENNESAW, Ga. — It's a tricky call as a parent -- when your child has a mild fever, some congestion.
Like many in her shoes, Sarah Eid thought her daughter likely had a cold. Still, she took 7-year-old Serene to Piedmont QuickCare in Kennesaw for a quick check-up, just to make sure.
But Eid soon detected something else was going on.
"Something about the way Nurse Grace was looking at her and doing the testing, something didn't feel right to me as a mom," she told 11Alive.
Serene's flu and COVID-19 tests were negative, but Nurse Grace Idusuyi was alarmed by her blood pressure and the way Serene was so lethargic. An ambulance was called as Nurse Grace urged the two to head to the ER. The nurse's instinct told her the little girl needed a closer look.
"Nurse Grace looks directly at me and says, ' Mom, take her to the hospital right now,'" Eid said.
The mother later shared that it was Idusuyi's urgency that she believes undoubtedly saved Serene's life. By the time they reached the hospital, her daughter could no longer walk, she said, doctors finding that Serene was going into septic shock.
"From then, it went from a singing 7-year-old that morning to fighting for her life," Eid said.
Turns out, Serene had undiagnosed pneumonia that had gotten into her blood; she spent several days in the hospital getting treatment for sepsis. Only later did Nurse Grace learn how sick Serene truly was.
"She said if the child had been one hour late, she would have died," Nurse Grace shared. "I didn't know that."
But what she did know was life-saving, and the family wanted to be sure to express their gratitude.
Serene showed up to surprise Nurse Grace, her handmade "thank you" saying it all.
Eid can't let herself think about the alternative, like if she'd stayed home or hadn't heeded Nurse Grace's advice.
"For her to give me that assurance and say 'Go, go now,' I can't thank her enough for that," she said.