Virginia Apgar

Hello! My name is Virginia Apgar. I was born on June 7th, 1909. Even when I was a little girl, I was full of curiosity. I loved playing my violin, but I also loved science! I would spend hours looking at plants and stars, always asking, 'How does that work?' My father built a telescope in our backyard, and my brother had a chemistry lab where he did experiments. Because I loved science and helping people so much, I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a doctor.

Going to college was a big adventure. I studied science and then, in 1933, I graduated from medical school at Columbia University! Back then, not many women were doctors, but I didn't let that stop me. At first, I thought I wanted to be a surgeon. But a kind mentor suggested I try something new called anesthesiology. Anesthesiologists are special doctors who help patients sleep safely through surgery so they don't feel any pain. I loved it! By 1938, I was leading the whole anesthesiology department at my hospital. I even got to teach other doctors how to do this very important job.

Part of my job was helping mothers during childbirth. I noticed something that worried me. When a new baby was born, everyone was focused on the mom. The babies were often just wrapped in a blanket without being checked. I thought to myself, 'Shouldn't we be checking the baby right away to make sure they are healthy?' So, in 1952, I came up with a simple idea. I made a checklist of five things to check just one minute after a baby is born. The list included checking their heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color. It was a quick and easy way to give the baby a score to see if they needed a little extra help.

My little checklist was a big hit! Soon, doctors and nurses started using it everywhere. They decided to call it the 'Apgar score' after me, which made me feel very proud. My score helped them know right away which babies were strong and which ones needed a doctor's help to start breathing properly. It has helped save so many tiny lives all over the world! After my scoring system became famous, I went back to school in 1959 to learn even more about how to make sure babies are born healthy. I traveled the country teaching and sharing what I learned with others.

I lived to be 65 years old, and my whole life was dedicated to helping others, especially the smallest and newest people. I am so happy that my Apgar score is still used today for almost every baby born around the world. It's my hope that every child gets the chance to have a healthy start to a wonderful life.