March 12, 2026

Scarlett’s Story: Hope, Healing, and a New Beginning at Rady Children’s Heart Institute

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…

Heart Institute
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February 2, 2026

In Case of Emergency: Rady Children’s and Project ADAM lead the way in CPR training in schools

Each year, roughly 350,000 people in the U.S. suffer sudden cardiac arrest. The survival rate hovers at just 20%, but when bystanders step in and perform CPR or use an automated external defibrillator (AED), that number jumps to around 80%. Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego is part of a nationwide effort to provide training on…

Cardiology
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December 12, 2025

Inside Rady Children’s Single Ventricle Clinic

For children born with a single ventricle heart defect—essentially “half a heart”—Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego offers hope and lifelong support through its Single Ventricle Program, one of the first of its kind on the West Coast. This rare congenital condition requires a series of complex open-heart surgeries, often beginning within the first month of…

Heart Institute
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December 11, 2025

Every Step Counts

Rady Children’s laces up its sneakers for the American Heart Association Heart & Stroke Walk When San Diego comes together to support heart health, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego leads the way. As a presenting sponsor of the American Heart Association’s San Diego Heart & Stroke Walk, the Hospital is taking meaningful steps toward preventing…

Heart Institute
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April 26, 2024

Maverick’s Journey: Conquering Heart Challenges at Rady Children’s

Maverick’s Story Meet Maverick Ezekiel Miles, affectionately known as Mavey, a resilient 18-month-old with an indomitable spirit. Since birth, Mavey faced a series of health hurdles, including recurrent RSV infections (respiratory syncytial virus) and a congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect (ASD). The condition is characterized by a hole in the heart’s upper chambers…

Heart Institute
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November 14, 2023

Jordan the Heart Warrior

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…

Heart Institute
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May 10, 2023

From Stomachache to Heart Transplant: How Genomics Saved a Teen’s Life

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…

Heart Institute
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February 24, 2023

A Heart to Hold – Parker’s Story

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
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August 10, 2022

Team Rady Celebrates at Transplant Games; Honors Team That Delivers Highest Level of Care

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…

Rady Children's Staff
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February 20, 2019

From Fear to Empowerment: Why I Joined the New Cardiac Family Advisory Council

by Melissa Cohen, Cardiac Family Advisory Council Member The numbness of my epidural hadn’t yet worn off when my beautiful newborn daughter turned blue. My husband and I only got to hold Makayla (“Mak,” as we call her) for two hours before she moved from our loving, warm arms to a tiny plastic isolette, and…

Heart Institute
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February 6, 2019

Keeping Kids’ Blood Pressure and Cholesterol in Check

It’s likely you’ve talked with your doctor about your heart health and where your blood pressure and cholesterol stand. But have you talked with your child’s pediatrician about theirs? “We usually think of hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol as problems that affect adults, but we tend to forget that these problems can start…

Heart Institute
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December 18, 2018

Rady Children’s ECMO Expertise Goes Global

George Sutherland, M.B.A., R.R.T.-N.P.S. (pictured middle right), is going places. And while he certainly excels in his role as Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) coordinator, we mean this literally. That’s because in Nov. 2018, Sutherland led a group of Rady Children’s ECMO experts on a volunteer trip to China, where they helped…

Heart Institute
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