During the first half of the 20th century, there was a big problem with infant mortality. Some babies would die because doctors and nurses did not properly assess their health within the first few minutes of life. Virginia Apgar was working as a nurse, and she was seeing this happen all around her. That is why in 1952 she created the APGAR score to assess babies in the first minutes of life to make sure that their bodily functions are working properly. They are tested on color, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone, and respiration. They are tested in a 0-2 range and if they score lower than a 2, then the doctors will know what they can help the baby with. The APGAR score has helped save millions of lives. 

I believe that Virginia Apgar possesses many heroic character traits, but the two that shine through are her compassion and courage. She is extremely compassionate because of how she cared for others and wanted to figure out a way to help. She also has courage because she knew she had to face a problem. She didn't have to be the one to fix it, but she knew she wanted to solve the problem for the next generation. Virginia persevered through all the problems that came her way. This included the fact that she was unable to socialize with male colleagues because they would talk to each other in clubs that were closed to women. Despite that, Virginia eventually created something that changed the world and advocated for women’s rights, even though it was extremely difficult. I admire her immensely for what she did and for taking the initiative. Virginia is a role model for the next generation and demonstrates that when you identify a problem you should try to fix it. 

I used my artwork to illustrate Virginia's compassion for life and her caring spirit, which drove her to find the solution to the problem of infant mortality. I included the Apgar scores that each child is rated on floating out from her touch along with a portrayal of Virginia as a nurse in a hospital. By doing this project, I learned what can really get accomplished when you put your mind to something. Even when problems might arise it is very important to not let bumps in the road deter you from the main issue. Virginia Apgar’s story is extremely relevant today because every person nationwide has been assessed at birth with the APGAR score. Even though Virginia isn't well known, it is vital to share her story with the world