# @ucsfchildrens on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DMOuR7AOSwC
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37670225-ucsfchildrens-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/06fe64dc29.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-18T01:05:14.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UCSF Benioff Children’s (@ucsfchildrens) — https://gondola.cc/ucsfchildrens

## Caption

Please help us congratulate Dawn — she’s doing great after having three heart surgeries as a child, and an additional surgery as an adult at our hospitals! 

In 1969, when Dawn was a baby, her mother noticed she would sometimes become short of breath and pass out. Originally, Dawn's doctor thought it was a cold, but when she was 6 months old, a new doctor became concerned. 

He contacted a colleague, the late Dr. Stanley Higashino, for an emergency appointment. Dawn came to ucsfchildrens Oakland, where Dr. Higashino diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect and scheduled her for surgery. The late Dr. Ivan May placed a band around her heart to correct a ventricular septal defect, with hope for new surgical advances in the future. Dawn went on to have two more surgeries as a child and did great until 2011, when Dr. Phillip Moore placed a stent in her heart at ucsfhealth. Unfortunately, earlier this year, Dawn experienced a mild heart attack, but luckily tests showed no major damage to her heart! She is now doing well again. 

Dawn enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, going to Ocean Beach and road trips — either solo or with her son. She also runs a small business, selling jewelry and home décor. “If we are brave enough to share our stories, we can let people know they’re not alone,” she says. 

#chdwarrior #chdaware #ucsfkids #ucsf

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 196
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 16

## Tags

ucsf, chdaware, ucsfkids, chdwarrior

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