Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/894985
THE 2017 HAPPY HEART PARTY, an annual celebration of pediatric heart health by the Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute, included 1,052 current and former patients and their families at an August Tampa Bay Rays game. They were able to reconnect with doctors and staff outside of the hospital setting. The event was supported by a generous gift from the Trust of Betty P. Kessler. The festivities were held high above left field in the tbt* Party Deck, as a special group of young patients and their families were celebrating personal victories, thanks to a special team of doctors and nurses who spent part of the afternoon roaming the stands as they greeted friends and family. The reunion took on deeper meaning for one parent, Dana, whose 17-month-old son Logan had open-heart surgery a year ago. The St. Petersburg native served as a teen volunteer at the hospital years ago, working the front desk at Child Life. "If someone had told me back then that I'd be so involved with the hospital, I would say no way," she laughs. Logan's surgery was to correct two holes, ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect. He has been seeing Marguerite Crawford, M.D., since he was born in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Just days shy of celebrating a year since open-heart surgery, Logan was doing well and wasn't expected back for an appointment until December, Dana says. But Dana hopes to spend more time at Johns Hopkins All Children's as a volunteer. She recently applied for the Family Advisory Council, which focuses on promoting patient-centered care and helps hospital personnel understand the diverse needs of patients and their families. "We're just so lucky to have a hospital like Johns Hopkins All Children's that has everything we need just 20 minutes away," she said. Visit HopkinsAllChildrens.org/Heart to learn more about the Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute. Happy Heart Party Brings Families Together More than 1,000 patients and family members celebrated with the Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute. One of the Best Recognized as a top 50 pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program by U.S. News & World Report, the Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute is the largest pediatric heart program that offers transplantation in the state of Florida, with more than 182 pediatric heart transplants performed to date. The institute's surgical outcomes are among the best in the nation. 6 Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation | GiveToAllKids.org Physicians, families and patients of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute enjoy a day at the Happy Hearts Party. ■ People