October 6, 2026

Back in the Swing of Things

From a Life-Changing Diagnosis to the Baseball Diamond, Bronson Is Thriving When Bronson first connected with Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, he was barely bigger than a baseball. Marissa went into her 20-week ultrasound expecting the usual: a quick look, a few photos and reassurance. What she got instead was the kind of news that…

Cardiology
, , , , , ,
October 6, 2026

Every Beat Counts

How the Heart Institute at Rady Children’s Helps Kids With Complex Heart Conditions Thrive Long before a newborn draws that first breath, the heart is already hard at work, beating through a remarkable beginning. For some families, though, the story starts with an unexpected hurdle. Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects in…

Cardiology
, , ,
July 9, 2026

Love Notes: A Thank You From the Heart

A Mother’s Thank You to the Team That Cared for Damian’s Heart Love Notes is a series of articles written by parents, patients, caregivers and loved ones expressing gratitude to the incredible teams at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. Dear Dr. Nigro, It’s hard to believe it has already been four years since we last…

Cardiology
, , , , ,
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
, , ,
January 5, 2026

Meet Isabella, a Tiny Fighter Thriving After a Brave Start

Isabella’s Story Meet Isabella. Born at just 26 weeks and weighing less than 2 pounds, Isabella entered the world much earlier than expected and faced challenges from the very beginning. She spent 114 days in our NICU and bravely underwent a life-saving heart surgery. Through every setback, Isabella showed extraordinary strength. A Fragile Start Babies…

Heart Institute
, , , , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 2, 2023

All Clear: Pioneering Portal Vein Thrombosis Procedure Opens Up New Possibilities

Ashlyn Frye hadn’t been feeling her best for the last several years. Teachers said she didn’t pay attention in class and would crawl under her desk to take a nap. At home, the 11-year-old seemed disconnected, says her mom Stacey Frye. “I was used to her being out of breath and tired,” Stacey recalls. “Just…

Heart Institute
, , , , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , ,
July 26, 2022

Doubly Blessed

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…

Heart Institute
, , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , ,
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
, , , , , , , ,

Categories