Recently our Nationwide Children’s Heart Center lost a former employee of the CTICU. Heather Walker was one of a kind and truly loved by all. By Alaina Dunkelberger – Close friend, Co-worker, and Classmate Otterbein
Heather’s bright light came into this world on February 14th, 1982, in San Antonio, Texas. It is fitting that she would be born on Valentine’s Day, where hearts decorate our communities, because Heather was born with a special heart in more ways than one. When Heather was 4 months old, her mother Melanie was concerned about her lack of growth and it was at this point her underlying congenital heart defect, TAPVR, was discovered and surgically repaired.
Heather’s childhood was blessed by the addition of her adoptive father, Bunk, who married Melanie during Heather’s toddlerhood. Heather had such love, respect, and adoration for her dad that she insisted on taking and keeping his last name. Heather was a spunky and vivacious teenager. She was a member of a dance team and eventually became a college mascot. Heather loved to laugh, talk, sing, and rap along to her favorite songs. She had to undergo major jaw surgery as a young adult and her parents said they considered paying extra to keep the wires in place for a few more weeks. Throughout her adulthood, Heather was a patient of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Adolescent & Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program where she developed close relationships with her cardiologists and other team members. She respected the COACH team and always spoke so highly of the care she received.
Heather became a registered nurse in 2007. Her love and passion for children guided her to the Hematology/Oncology unit at Texas Children’s for a year prior to her joining our family at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2008. Heather was a rockstar nurse in the Cardiothoracic ICU here at NCH. She was one of the very first RNs hired into our brand new CTICU after separating from the PICU and a huge part of developing the unit into what it has become today. She brightened the days and lives of patients, families, and staff alike. If Heather was working that day, everyone knew because of her loud, contagious laughter, and infectious smile. Heather never knew a stranger. From engineering to the surgical teams, Heather knew everyone, and everyone knew her. Heather would play with our patients, using syringes as squirt guns or twirling in the hallway to make them laugh. She was truly one of a kind. Her personality is not the only area that Heather stood out. Heather was highly skilled as an ICU nurse. She was intelligent, proactive, and truly an advocate for her patients. One CTICU physician said following Heather’s death, “She was the kind of nurse that made you glad coming on shift that she had taken the sickest kid. I’m not sure what can be said – the void left when someone like Heather is taken pulls our breath away.”
Beyond being a bedside nurse, Heather was also the preceptor for many critical care nurses following in her footsteps. One thing Heather instilled in her orientees was the importance of performing a “good deed of the day.” Every day, you had to do something that benefited somebody else, whether it be a patient, their family, a coworker, or stranger. It is the wishes of her friends and family that everyone incorporates and maintains the act of doing a daily good deed in Heather’s memory. These good deeds would truly make Heather’s legacy eternal.
In 2016, Heather left Nationwide Children’s for her next adventure in life, pursuing a career in anesthesia. She continued to light up the lives of the people she interacted with. Heather became a certified registered nurse anesthetist in 2018. She practiced at Riverside Methodist Hospital before finding the love of her life, Jimmy Asher, and moving to Springboro, Ohio. Heather had found true happiness with Jimmy and her “bonus daughter” Reagan. Heather was working as a CRNA at Kettering Medical Center at the time of her sudden passing on July 21st, 2020.
“She was the kind of nurse that made you glad coming on shift that she had taken the sickest kid. I’m not sure what can be said- the void left when someone like Heather is taken pulls our breath away.”
Dr. Richard Fernandez – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
“She will stay forever with me as a positive example of what you can do with your life, despite CHD (Congenital Heart Disease) and a reminder to treasure all the time we have with others who bring us joy.”
-Dr. May Ling Mah – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Heather has impacted the lives of many people. She was larger than life itself, her personality filled the room. Her big, beautiful, brown eyes and perfect smile are so memorable. She was kind, caring, endearing, funny, compassionate, and had a refined taste for the simple pleasures of life including Dr. Pepper, Coors light (make sure the mountains are blue), and cheeseburgers. Heather’s drive in life was truly to benefit the lives of others, especially children with congenital heart defects and their families.
Respectfully, we ask that you consider donating to any one or all of the links below in the remembrance of Heather Renee Walker and to continue her legacy and spirit.
Thank You and Bless you for your generosity!
We Strive to be a vital part of our community for a number of years to come. We were founded to serve the needs of Children in ours and other communities in need of inaccessible services. We will continue to grow with the help of our donors and volunteers that make our mission possible. “It’s all about the Children”
