Programs & Services
Programs & Services
Programs & Services
Read Mikey’s first-hand account of his battle with cancer and his journey to recovery. Hi, my name is Mike—but everyone calls me Mikey. I’m 20 years old, the oldest of five siblings, and family has always been the heart of my world. I love football, basketball, fishing, and sharing good meals with the people I…
Program Spotlight: A New Era of HopeRady Children’s has relaunched its Liver Transplant Program, led by Amber Hildreth, DO (medical director) and Jennifer Berumen, MD (surgical director for liver and kidney transplant). The program began with the Hospital’s first combined liver–kidney transplant and has performed six successful transplants so far, with living donor transplants planned…
Heart Institute
For the first time in the history of Rady Children’s Hospital, we completed two dual organ transplant procedures in one year. Rady Children’s Hospital has performed its first-ever dual transplant on a 13-year-old boy from Arizona. Patient Nehemiah “Nemo” Maldonado received a heart and kidney transplant within days of each other. Watch the NBC 7…
Easy-to-understand definitions of some key transplant terms.
Learn more about this medical procedure in which damaged stem cells in the blood are replaced with healthy stem cells.
If your child needs a kidney transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo kidney transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives.
If your child needs a heart transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo heart transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives.
A heart transplant is a surgery where doctors remove a person's sick heart and replace it with a healthy donor heart.
If your child needs a liver transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, most kids who have liver transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives.
Stem cells help rebuild a weakened immune system. Stem cell transplants are effective treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer.
Mario Luna, an eighth-grader from Culver City, has always been passionate about basketball. He even dreams of playing in the NBA one day. However, on January 12, his world was turned upside down. It all started with a stomachache which quickly turned into a more serious heart condition. Mario’s heart began beating uncontrollably and his…
Comprehensive Liver Care Center
Programs & Services
The Transplant Games of America recently came to San Diego, honoring those who gave the selfless gift of life and celebrating patients. Held every two years, this was the first time the event happened on the West Coast. Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego patients and families joined team members to make a strong appearance at the…
Nephrology (Kidney Care) > Services
Heart Institute > Services & Conditions Treated
Cardiovascular Surgery
11-year-old boy receives new heart in historic surgery.
Programs & Services
Cancer and Blood Disorders > Services
Programs & Services
Kidney Transplant Program
Surgeon to Lead Rady Children's New Heart Transplant Program
WHAT: Current and former kidney and liver transplant patients will participate in a transplant reunion party on Sunday, December 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. Patients and their families will be able to meet Hospital staff and transplant surgeons and share their amazing stories. Since 2001, the Hospital’s transplant…
Scarlett’s Story Scarlett’s heart journey began before she was even born. During a routine anatomy scan, doctors discovered that only two of the four chambers of her heart were working. Her family learned early that she would need specialized care from the moment she arrived. Even before birth, Scarlett showed incredible strength. She is a…
Liver Transplant Program
Ruby and Luke’s Story: Two Siblings, Two Journeys, One Incredible Family Meet Ruby and her big brother, Luke — two brave fighters who beat leukemia. Luke’s Diagnosis Luke was diagnosed the day after Christmas in 2018 at just 8 years old. What followed were nine long months of treatment, appointments and uncertainty. Then came the…
2024-25 Pediatric Grand Rounds Information Download Schedule September 6, 2024 – MOC Eligible The Dawn of a New Horizon in Stem Cell Transplantation for Pediatric Disease Hojun Li, M.D, Ph.D Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Division of Hematology/Oncology University of California, San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital-SanDiego View Recording September 13, 2024 – MOC Eligible…
After a lifesaving kidney donation from her mother, Kenya found strength, purpose, and a path to give back. Today, Kenya is just days away from earning her Master’s in Public Health at San Diego State University, driven by a mission to support others in health care. She wrote her thesis on organ donation, volunteers as…
Mental and Behavioral Health Services
The Power of Living Kidney Donation at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego At just 1 year and 7 months old, Nathaniel’s mother, Maria, noticed something unusual—he was drinking excessive amounts of water, and his belly appeared larger than normal. Concerned, she took him to the doctor, where tests revealed devastating news: Nathaniel had kidney disease.…
The Lifesaving Impact of Living Kidney Donation at Rady Children’s By Megan Matthew and Sarah Sapeda Melanie Sniff knew for years that she might one day be a kidney donor. Problems with her daughter Quincy’s kidney were detected while Quincy and her twin sister were still in the womb. The family anticipated surgery shortly after…
2023 Highlights NIH Research Funding From the lab to the bedside, we’re at the forefront of pediatric research and innovation. View our recent accomplishments between our Genomics Institute and colleagues at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Learn More Recent Recruitment at Rady Children’s Hospital Rady Children’s Hospital continues to strengthen its…
Rady Children’s announces the availability of Arc Viewer, a new no-cost 3D model viewing software that allows clinicians at any hospital to easily interact with virtual 3D reconstructions of patient anatomy.
A first-time mom puts her baby girl’s heart in the hands of Rady Children’s CTICU. Ana Castaneda was 24 weeks into her first pregnancy when a routine sonogram turned her world upside down. “I was happy, healthy and hopeful, but this news was a complete whirlwind,” Ana recalls. “At the time, I had no suspicion…
Heart Institute > Services & Conditions Treated
Heart Institute
Kidney Transplant Program
Ver en ingles Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego es un destino mundial para el tratamiento de afecciones médicas raras y complejas en niños. Con renombrados especialistas pediátricos, adolescentes y perinatales, Rady Children’s está reconocido por U.S. News & World Report como uno de los mejores hospitales infantiles de los Estados Unidos. Muchos de nuestros médicos también…
Jordan was welcomed into the world following a healthy full-term pregnancy and birth. He was deemed healthy during his newborn exam and at his early pediatric visits. Around 7 weeks of age, he began breathing rapidly, sweating profusely when eating, and seemed to be struggling with breathing. A pediatric visit revealed he was not gaining…
Programs & Services
What Is Parainfluenza? Human parainfluenza virus, or simply parainfluenza, is a common virus that causes upper and lower respiratory infections. Three-quarters of children 5 and older and 90% to 100% of older people have antibodies against parainfluenza. This suggests nearly everyone will be infected with the virus at some point in their lives, usually in…
Rady Children’s and the UC San Diego are pleased to announce that Rush Chewning, MD, has been appointed as Medical Director, Pediatric Interventional Radiology at Rady Children’s and Associate Clinical Professor at UCSD.
Noah is a six-year-old boy with boundless energy and a heart full of dreams. “Noah loves baseball, soccer and all things related to construction workers, firefighters and police officers,” shares his mom, Charlotte. “He wants to be all three professions when he grows up, so he’s going to be busy!” Noah’s mom is an active-duty…
Campus Construction Overview Rady Children’s Hospital is planning a major expansion that will include a new seven-story medical tower and a renovated emergency department. The new tower will include 84 treatment rooms in the emergency department, 140 intensive care rooms, and four more operating rooms. The existing Nelson Pavilion will be dismantled to make way…
Si su hijo necesita un trasplante de riñón, probablemente esté preocupado. Afortunadamente, muchos niños que se someten a trasplantes de riñón continúan teniendo vidas normales y saludables.
Si su hijo necesita un trasplante de corazón, probablemente esté sintiendo muchas emociones juntas. Afortunadamente, muchos niños que se someten a un trasplante de corazón tienen una vida normal y saludable.
Pharmacogenetics, also called pharmacogenomics, is the study of how our genes affect our response to some, but not all, medicines.
Is your child scheduled to have an EEG? Find out how this test is done and when you can expect the results.
A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are performed to examine bone marrow, the spongy liquid part of the bone where blood cells are made.
A urologist, sometimes called a urologic surgeon, is a doctor who studies, diagnoses, and treats problems that affect the urinary tract, kidneys, and genitourinary system.
A gastroenterologist is a doctor who studies, diagnoses, and treats diseases and conditions that affect the stomach and intestines.
A hematologist is a doctor who specializes in blood diseases, bleeding disorders, and cancers such as hemophilia, sickle cell disease, leukemia, and lymphoma. They’re trained in hematology and oncology.
A hematologist-oncologist is a doctor who specializes in blood diseases, bleeding disorders, and cancers such as hemophilia, sickle cell disease, leukemia, and lymphoma. They’re trained in hematology and oncology.
A nephrologist is a doctor who cares for people with diseases and conditions that affect the kidneys.
An oncologist is a doctor who diagnoses and treats different types of cancer.
A cardiologist is a doctor who a doctor who studies, diagnoses, and treats medical problems that affect the heart and blood vessels.
A cardiac (or cardiothoracic) surgeon is a doctor who does surgery to treat problems that affect the heart and chest.
Learn about potential complications of fetal development and conditions that affect the kidneys and urinary tract.
Mucopolysaccharidosis type II, or Hunter syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly males.
Kidney disease is when there's a problem with the kidneys and they can't do a good job of filtering waste.
When the kidneys stop working, they can't help the body remove waste. Learn more about this condition and how doctors treat it.
Learn about hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare and serious defect of the heart.
Learn about types of high blood pressure and conditions that can affect the lungs and heart.
In factor VIII deficiency (hemophilia A), the body doesn't make enough factor VIII (factor 8), one of the substances the body needs to form a clot.
In hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency), the body doesn't make enough factor IX (factor 9), one of the substances the body needs to form a clot.
In factor IX deficiency (hemophilia B), the body doesn't make enough factor IX (factor 9), one of the substances the body needs to form a clot.
In factor VIII deficiency (hemophilia A), the body doesn't make enough factor VIII (factor 8), one of the substances the body needs to form a clot.
In this condition, which can affect a child's breathing, activity, and growth, the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently and meet the needs of the body.
Learn about cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart muscle becomes weak and enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood through the body.
Learn about genetic disorders and diseases and conditions that affect the blood.
When a person receives a stem cell transplant, this treatable complication can make it tougher for the immune system to heal.
What teachers should know about cardiomyopathy and what they can do to help students with the condition succeed in school.
Find out when and why your child needs to get this vaccine.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Most cases are caused by a virus — either hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C — all of which can be passed to others by someone who is infected.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The hepatitis A vaccine has helped to make the infection rare in the United States.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through blood or other body fluids, and can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. The most common way people become infected is by sharing drug paraphernalia.
This virus poses few risks to healthy kids, but can cause serious health problems in unborn babies and kids with a weak immune system.
The immune protection from the COVID-19 vaccine can fade over time. Booster shots are recommended for everyone age 6 months and older. Here's why.
Toxoplasmosis is an infection that passes from animals to humans, sometimes without causing any symptoms. Learn more about this infection in this article for parents.
While vitiligo might make kids self-conscious, this skin condition is not medically dangerous. Kids with vitiligo are as healthy as other kids.
Pneumocystis pneumonia can affect infants who have AIDS, cancer, or other conditions that affect the immune system.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) is a is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The majority of kids with this type of cancer are cured.
Check out our cancer glossary for lots of easy-to-read definitions.
Without bones, muscles, and joints, we couldn't stand, walk, run, or even sit. The musculoskeletal system supports our bodies, protects our organs from injury, and enables movement.
Should you bank your newborn's cord blood? This article can help you decide.
Cushing syndrome can happen when there are too many glucocorticoid hormones in the body.
Radioembolization is a procedure used to treat some kinds of liver tumors. A radioactive material works on the tumor, not the healthy tissue around it.
A rhabdoid tumor of the liver is a cancer that often spreads quickly to other parts of the body. Most of these very rare tumors happen in babies and toddlers.
Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare kind of liver cancer that happens mostly in children.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of liver cancer. It's treated by a health care team of specialists in many areas.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. Most kids and teens who get Hodgkin lymphoma get better.
Learn about this rare type of cancer, which usually affects kids under 4 years old.
Leukemia refers to cancers of the white blood cells. With the proper treatment, the outlook for kids with leukemia is quite good.
Tumors happen when cells form a mass or growth. Liver tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Lymphoma is cancer that begins in the body's lymphatic tissue. It's a common type of cancer in children, but most recover from it.
Learn about neuroblastoma, a rare type of childhood cancer that develops in infants and young children.
Certain cancers, or cancer treatment, can weaken the immune system, requiring a child to stay home to avoid exposure to germs. Here are ways to help your child make the best of it.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of childhood cancer. Because it develops and gets worse quickly, prompt treatment is very important. With treatment, most kids are cured.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) happens when the body makes too many immature white blood cells. Among kids with leukemia, 20% have this type. With treatment, most recover.
This site has information and advice on treating and coping with cancer.
Different kinds of childhood cancer have different signs, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. But today, most kids with cancer get better.
While this type of blood cancer is more common in adults, it affects children, too. Thanks to advances in therapy, most kids with CML can be cured.
Hepatoblastoma is a rare type of cancer that affects the liver but rarely spreads beyond it. Most cases are in children younger than 3.
This kidney problem causes acid levels in the blood to become too high, causing fatigue, muscle weakness, and other kidney problems. The condition is usually treatable.
Parents of kids who have a chronic kidney disease often worry about what might happen next, how their child feels, and what treatments are likely to be involved. Find answers here.
Dialysis is a medical treatment that can take over the job of cleaning the blood when the kidneys can't.
Glomerulonephritis happens when tiny filtering units in the kidneys stop working properly. Most cases get better on their own or with treatment.
The kidneys play a critical role in health. When something goes wrong, it could indicate a kidney disease. What are kidney diseases, and how can they be treated?
Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that makes red blood cells change shape. These sickle shaped cells get stuck together and block small blood vessels. This stops blood from moving as it should, which can lead to pain and organ damage.
A ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump that takes over for the heart and pumps blood. This can give a weak or injured heart time to heal or support someone as they wait for a heart transplant.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a problem that happens when the left side of a baby’s heart doesn't form as it should. It’s smaller than normal and can’t pump enough blood to the body. After the baby is born, doctors can treat the problem with medicines and several surgeries.
Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that makes red blood cells change shape and cause health problems. Find out how to help your child.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect of a baby’s heart. The left side of the heart doesn’t grow as it should, making it smaller and weaker than normal.
The muscle that makes up the heart is called the myocardium. Myocarditis is when this muscle gets inflamed (swollen).
Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a heart defect where the aorta connects to the heart in the wrong place.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the use of a machine to do the work that the heart and lungs normally do.
Are you heart smart? Learn about this amazing muscle, including how to care for kids with heart conditions.
Aplastic anemia happens when the body can't make enough blood cells. A person can develop anemia, infections, and bleeding. Treatments can help with most kinds of aplastic anemia.
Cardiomyopathy is when the heart muscle becomes weak and enlarged. This makes it hard for the heart to pump blood through the body. Treatments can help with the symptoms and sometimes stop it from getting worse, but usually there's no cure.
Heart failure is when the heart can’t pump blood the way it should. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is when blood backs up in the heart.
Retinoblastoma is a childhood cancer that affects the retina, the area of the eye responsible for sensing light and sending nerve signals to the brain.
Learn about genetic disorders and diseases and conditions that affect the blood.
Short bowel syndrome happens when the small intestine is too short to fully absorb nutrients as it should. Kids with the condition often need to get nutrition through a special IV into a vein.
Chyluria is when there is chyle in the pee. Depending on what's causing it, chyluria can be treated and often can be cured.
Tuberous sclerosis complex is a genetic condition that causes the growth of benign tumors. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Biliary atresia is when a newborn has blocked bile ducts in the liver. If a baby’s jaundice doesn’t improve by 2 weeks of age, doctors might suspect the condition.
Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare metabolic disorder that some babies are born with.
Morquio A syndrome causes growth problems and also can affect the heart and cause hearing and vision problems. Medical care and treatments can help with these problems.
Fanconi anemia is an inherited condition in which the bone marrow doesn’t work normally. A child with the condition needs lifelong medical care.
Alpha thalassemia is a blood disorder in which the body has a problem producing alpha globin, a component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body.
Beta thalassemia is a blood disorder in which the body has a problem producing beta globin, a component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body.
Diamond-Blackfan anemia happens when bone marrow doesn’t make enough red blood cells. It also can cause physical changes in their heart, head, and upper body.
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is an immune deficiency that can be successfully treated if it's found early.
Liver Transplant Program
Plastic Surgery > Patient Stories
After waiting on pins and needles, Andrew All learned that he could save his daughter’s life with the gift of a kidney donation. A donation could mean a return to normal 6-year-old activities, like, swimming, taking baths, and enjoying popsicles. It also meant not being hooked up to a machine for 10 hours a night,…
Can you imagine holding your own heart in your hands? That’s just what 15-year-old Parker Mayorgas did after receiving a life-saving heart transplant. But his story didn’t begin there. At 2 years old, Parker’s mother, Melissa, noticed something amiss. Parker wasn’t meeting his developmental milestones like his older brother, and his balance seemed off. Eventually,…
Heart Institute > News & Patient Stories
A young life saved by the gift of a dual organ transplant In July 2021, Nehemiah “Nemo” Maldonado was a healthy, active 12-year-old playing with friends and family in his home state of Arizona. Weeks later, he was fighting for his life, facing an illness that came on suddenly and progressed rapidly. Within months, he…
Flu, RSV and Covid-19 Add to Crunch on Pediatric Hospitals, The Wall Street Journel, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (11/18/2022) Rady Children’s Hospital Asking Parents to Avoid ER If Possible Amid Surging Respiratory Cases, nbcssandiego.com, features Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Holmes, M.D., M.B.A. (11/17/2022) The ‘Tripledemic’ Is Sickening Kids Across America and Straining Hospitals,…
In recognition of its expertise in serving adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) and structural heart conditions present at birth, UC San Diego Health’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program, in collaboration with Rady Children’s earned accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA).
Comprehensive Liver Care Center
Programs & Services
This generous investment will bring pioneering, data-informed precision medicine to pediatric heart patients in the Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit.