Post by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Luna Maradiaga Maldonado was born healthy, but within months her heart began to fail. Diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, Luna faced end‑stage heart failure and spent months in the hospital. In September 2025, at 7-months old, Luna received a lifesaving heart transplant at #NYPMorganStanley of Children’s Hospital of New York. Cardiac surgeon Dr. Maureen McKiernan led the #NYPColumbia pediatric heart transplant team that saved Luna’s life, in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Goldstone, director of the section of pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgery. After recovering in the hospital, Luna went home in December, just in time for the holidays. Now, nearly seven months after her transplant, Luna is thriving. She continues to reach milestones like rolling over, sitting up, playing with her toys, and singing and babbling with her parents. During her hospital stay, Luna and her mom, Jessy, would visit a fish tank on their daily walks around the floor. Recently, she celebrated her first birthday with a visit to an aquarium, smiling and laughing at all the fish and discovering a new favorite: the sea lion. “Seeing how well she’s doing now,” her mom Jessy said, “it’s like a dream.” Join us in celebrating the resilience of pediatric transplant patients like Luna and their families and honoring the donors who make lifesaving care possible. Click to read more about Luna’s journey in the The New York Times: https://nyphosp.co/3OT4JWC Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine

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