“The collaboration between the Rafael Nieves Foundation and the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program at University of Maryland Hospital for Children has been of incalculable value throughout our 10 year partnership. Without the Foundation support, we could not have been able to address the way we do all the teaching, research and humanitarian needs of our community.”
-Marcelo Cardarelli
“This is a great cause. Robert and I have always enjoyed this fundraiser and we see the benefits being used for the right purposes.”
-Su Zogran
“When the right people come together for the right cause, the results are incredible. Ten years and thousands of dollars in research, education and service later, we couldn’t ask for a better partnership.”
-Marcelo Cardarelli
“Thanks to Dr. Cardarelli our 9 year old grandson has been able to strive at life due to having open heart surgery at 5 months old.”
-Donna Knipp
I support [the RNHFC golf] tournament because it is a good cause and basically 100% of the monies go to support children with heart problems. I have enjoyed the event for ten years and will continue to be a part of it.
-Russell Younkers
“Having nurses dedicated and exclusively trained in the postoperative care of children undergoing heart surgery has achieved new levels of excellence thanks in part to the support of The Nieves Foundation.”
-Marcelo Cardarelli
“In 2008 we published an article titled “Vasopressin Levels in Children undergoing Cardio-Pulmonary Bypass” in Cardiology in the Young, a pediatric cardiac surgery European journal. The work described has set the stage for the use of Vasopressin, a drug used in the postoperative care of children, and adults, undergoing open heart surgery. Thanks to our prospective and detailed study of blood samples taken before, during and after the surgery, we were able to find that in reality, the normal body concentration of vasopressin (a natural hormone that controls the level of water in the human body) was NOT altered by the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (the heart lung machine). Until we published this data, vasopressin was commonly used with the thinking that low levels were inducing low blood pressures in children after heart surgery. We can say that this valuable scientific paper could not have been done without the support of the Nieves Foundation. We benefitted from publishing our data, but most importantly changes induced by this paper in the management of heart surgery have benefited children all over the world.”
-Marcelo Cardarelli
“As a victum/survivor of a heart attack and survivor of open heart surgery at the University of Maryland Hospital, I see no better cause than to help those who suffer from cardiovascular illness, especially children who can have a lifetime ahead of them with your help!”
-Ray Nieves