Heart Care Ahead of its Time

At just 5 years old, Maria was facing challenges that would shape the rest of her life. She was not growing as expected and walked with a limp. While her family was initially told that nothing was wrong, her mother, Lillian, a nurse, trusted her instincts and continued to seek answers. That persistence led to the discovery of a heart murmur and the beginning of Maria’s long relationship with pediatric heart care.

On September 2, 1959, Maria underwent a heart catheterization at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The procedure revealed two congenital heart defects (CHDs): partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR), in which oxygen-rich blood drained into the right atrium instead of the left, and an atrial septal defect (ASD). These diagnoses marked the start of a medical journey that would place Maria among the earliest pediatric patients to undergo complex heart care.

Memories of a Different Children’s Hospital

Despite her young age, Maria remembers many details from her early hospital stays. The children’s floor featured a large playroom where patients of all diagnoses shared space together. In 1959, shortly after Hawaii became the 50th state, nurses dressed the children in grass skirts and leis and taught them a hula dance.

Hospital beds were enclosed with high bars to keep the youngest patients safe.

“I remember talking to my fellow patients through the bars, especially at night,” Maria says. “We tried to comfort one another. Our parents were not permitted to stay with us back in those days.”

Heart Care Ahead of Its Time

As Maria’s health worsened, she became a candidate for open-heart surgery — a procedure that, in 1960, was still in its infancy, particularly for children. On July 13, 1960, at age 6, Maria underwent surgery with Dr. Robert Pontius at UPMC Children’s. According to the operating room report, Maria “responded promptly from anesthesia and left the operating room in good condition.” This surgery proved life-changing.

Maria continued to return to UPMC Children’s for appointments and testing throughout her childhood. The playroom remained a familiar and reassuring space, always signaling the start of another visit.

“In 4th grade I was very proud when I wrote all fifty states and their capitals on the enormous chalk board on the Children’s Floor,” she recalls. “The nurses made this a very big deal!”

Thriving Thanks to Advanced Care

Thanks to the care she received, Maria was able to live what she describes as an extremely normal and active life. Exercise was encouraged rather than restricted, and her parents did not limit her activities. She became a competitive gymnast and marched in both her high school and college bands. While attending Slippery Rock University, she was a member of the university’s dance company, performing at area colleges and enrolling in summer performance classes in New York City.

Maria went on to build a 40-year career as a kindergarten teacher and has coached gymnastics since graduating from college. Even in retirement, she remains deeply connected to the sport, continuing to officiate, coach, and choreograph gymnastics routines. She was even inducted into the Indiana Gymnastics Hall of Fame! Her lifelong activity reflects both her personal determination and the lasting impact of early, skilled cardiac care.