- "Tough Titmouse"
- —Sybil Meeks' iconic saying[src]
Sybil Meeks was a former foster parent to Shaun Murphy who was told by the doctors that she was going to die, resulting in her giving up Shaun.
Biography[]
History[]
- "You got to move out. Soon as they find someone who'll take you. Okay, stop. Not everything is about you. Doctors say I'm dying, and there's nothing they can do about it."
- —Sybil Meeks to Shaun Murphy[src]
Sybil was Shaun Murphy's third foster mother. Her relationship with Shaun was distant, constantly telling him "Tough titmouse" whenever he was faced with a difficult situation. These included how he once didn't want to go to school because of a difficult substitute teacher, whom Sybil knew from having dated him in school. Sometime later, doctors told her that she was dying, forcing her to give up Shaun who was saddened by this. On the day which Shaun left, she retained her distant demeanor while telling Shaun that she would just throw out anything he had forgotten. Shaun tells her that he was scared and she told him her iconic phrase, "tough titmouse." Shaun walked out of the door which brought a tear to her eye, suggesting that she loved him, or at least cared deeply for him because, despite her distant demeanor, she didn't want to give him up.[1]
Shaun would later think about her when he was treating Mac, a boy who had Fragile X Syndrome and whom Shaun believed needed to go to a group home. Although it's unknown, it's possible that her death was also an inspiration to Shaun becoming a doctor so that he could help others.
Personality[]
Shaun's social worker said that Sybil "[liked] to keep things simple", a possible euphemism for her refusal to go to church, foul language (though it's unknown how strong) and having "sex with strange men". Shaun nonetheless thought of Sybil as one of his better foster parents and would remember her telling him "Tough Titmouse" (her way of telling him that he needed to get through his tough situations) even into adulthood. She in return appeared to care about Shaun (she even kicked him out so that he would not have had to see her in pain) but didn't want to outright tell him that.
Appearances[]
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Trivia[]
- Her actress Brooke Smith appeared in the fifth Season of A&E drama series Bates Motel with Freddie Highmore (Shaun Murphy), where he portrayed the iconic role of Norman Bates.
- She also appeared in fellow medical TV show Grey's Anatomy.
References[]
- ↑ "Tough Titmouse": Season 2. Episode 4. David Hoselton (writer) & Steven DePaul (director). [October 15, 2018].