Miracles in Motion: Noah

Noah Jaradat, 17, was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome at just 9 days old. He moved to Gainesville at 2-and-a-half years old and has been cared for by UF Health faculty and staff ever since.

He’s had three surgeries since birth and several catheterizations. His last operation — the Ross procedure — took place when he was 13 years old. Mark Bleiweis, M.D., UF College of Medicine transplant surgeon and director and principal cardiothoracic surgeon for the UF Health Congenital Heart Center, replaced Noah’s aortic valve with Noah’s own pulmonary valve, then replaced the pulmonary valve with a pig valve.

“Before my last operation, I couldn’t keep up playing basketball — never got out of second gear,” Noah said. “Now, I can breathe well; before it was like a belt was around my chest, I couldn’t take a deep breath.”

The surgery has transformed Noah’s life. He is now a healthy, athletic teen who aspires to be a physician one day. He said he faces no real restrictions on activity and sees his doctor once a year.

Miracles in Motion tells the inspiring stories of our pediatric patient families, clinicians and staff members in their everyday lives. These moments that occur inside the walls of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital are what make this incredible hospital such a special place to the patients and families treated here each year. Follow along with the Miracles In Motion tag to learn more about these stories and how Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals​ makes even the most ordinary moments extraordinary.

This article originally appeared on news-notes.ufhealth.org. To learn more, click here.