Shelly Richmond and her daughter, Elouise
Shelly didn’t take a traditional path into nursing. After more than a decade as a graphic designer, she wanted a career where she could make a deeper impact. Encouraged by her sister, she returned to school to become a nurse.
After graduation, Shelly was thrilled when her husband gifted her a 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope. “I used it the entire time I worked in the ICU,” she said. “It was great in that environment because you can hear lung and heart sounds that a lot of people can't hear otherwise.”
A mother’s instinct
One quiet evening after work, when her 6-month-old daughter, Elouise, napped on her lap, Shelly felt a calling to listen to Elouise’s heart. She placed the stethoscope on her chest and was in disbelief after hearing a murmur. Not convinced, she toggled on the Littmann® CORE for amplification. “I thought, ‘That's clear as day. That's a murmur.’” Shelly recalled.
Using the Eko App, she recorded her daughter’s heart sounds and the AI analysis confirmed her concerns.
“In Elouise’s whole 6 months, nobody had heard the murmur,” Shelly said. “I even specifically asked when she was born if they checked her heart, if she had a murmur, and they said ‘ no, no, no!’”
Shelly shared the findings at Elouise’s 6-month well-check appointment, but the physician could barely detect the murmur and suggested they check it again in a few months. So when he heard a faint sound at her 9-month appointment, they were referred to a cardiologist. The murmur was confirmed through an echocardiogram, as well as a significant atrial septal defect (ASD).
"He told us we were lucky. But I said, ‘No — we’re blessed.’"
Early detection, early intervention
The discovery was both alarming and fortunate.
“He told us we were lucky. But I said, ‘No — we’re blessed,’” Shelly recalled. “God put it on my heart to listen. If it wasn’t for that, I don’t know if I would have ever heard it.”
ASDs are often missed until much later in life, typically during the late teens or early twenties, when irreversible heart damage may already have occurred.
Early diagnosis means that Elouise’s condition can be monitored closely and, if needed, treated with a single, minimally invasive procedure.
The cardiologist reassured Shelly that the defect was manageable: a heart catheterization to close the hole, likely when her daughter is 5 or 6, would be enough to ensure a normal, healthy life. Until then they’ll monitor her heart, hoping that the defect might close on its own.
New tool, new purpose
Shelly’s story stood out to Eko during our recent Sweepstakes giveaway, and we chose her to receive a CORE 500™, our most advanced digital stethoscope to date. With her new device, Shelly can continue delivering exceptional care while being well-equipped for the critical moments, particularly in her current role in hospice.
“In both the ICU and in hospice, our patients are at the extreme ends of the spectrum,” Shelly notes. “It’s important to be able to hear even the faintest heart and lung sounds and to be able to tell the doctor, ‘Yes, I can hear that they have movement right now.’”
While hearing effectively is important in both practice environments, Shelly shared that hospice care is much more personal than the ICU.
“In the ICU we stabilize them, then they go to the floor, and we don’t ever get to follow up. We don't ever get to know if they get better, whereas with my hospice patients, I see them until the end, and I get to fall in love with their families — I get to fall in love with them.”
In hospice environments, the CORE 500™ has become a vital tool for Shelly to provide patients’ families with clarity and comfort. Unlike clinical environments, which focus on diagnosing and treating conditions, hospice care centers around preparing families for the end.
Many ask her, “How much time do we have left?” While she can’t predict that, the CORE 500™ provides her with insights that guide those conversations. She can listen for subtle changes, like a heart that’s working harder or fading lung sounds, and explain what these signs might mean.
"I’m considered a seasoned nurse now, but I feel like I’m always learning something. But what gives me confidence and the ability to know what I’m hearing is my stethoscope. I’m very thankful that I have it."
With support from her stethoscope, Shelly can help families understand when the end may be near, offering them the peace of mind to focus on being present with their loved one.
“I’m considered a seasoned nurse now, but I feel like I’m always learning something. But what gives me confidence and the ability to know what I’m hearing is my stethoscope. I’m very thankful that I have it.”
More than just listening
Stories like shelly’s inspire us every day at Eko. They remind us that listening is more than a clinical skill — it’s an act of care, connection, and sometimes, life-saving intervention. Through tools like the CORE 500™, we aim to empower clinicians like Shelly to make a difference for their patients and their communities.
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