Why I Wear Red Shoes

Heron, S.L. (2019), Why I Wear Red Shoes. Acad Emerg Med, 26: 710-712. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.13697

When I arrived at the trauma bay for my emergency department (ED) shift on November 21, 2018, several emergency medicine residents and nurses asked why I was wearing my red shoes. My answer was sobering: on November 19, 2018, Dr. Tamara O'Neal was murdered by her ex‐fiancé. Dr. O'Neal, a physician employed at Mercy Hospital, along with a pharmacy resident and Chicago police officer were killed by the gunman who reportedly got into an argument with Dr. O'Neal before she was shot and killed. The news, e‐mails, and social media were peppered with condolences and concern, fury, and pain. It was somewhat comforting to see responses to scholarships in Tamara's name and finances to assist with her burial. All too real, however, were the tears shed as I sat with a heart in pain; I sat in stillness, disbelief, and earnest prayer for Tamara, her family, her colleagues, and her friends.