Oak Lawn Advocate Children’s Hospital Honors First Heart Transplant Recipient by Reconnecting Teen with medical personnel.

OAK LAWN, Ill. (WLS) — There was a heartwarming reunion Wednesday at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn.

The hospital celebrated its new heart transplant program by reuniting one of its first patients with the medical team who saved her life.

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Nataly Paramo, 15, made a trip to the hospital Wednesday morning, but it wasn’t for a medical emergency.

Meeting the medical team that saved her life was a significant moment for her. Just a few months earlier, they had carried out a groundbreaking heart transplant. This marked a milestone for the newly established heart transplant program at Advocate Children’s Hospital.

Paramo’s mother called the team her second family.

“They’ve been helping me a lot, checking on her, calling me, asking, how is she?” Sanjuana Ortiz said.

It was last fall, when Paramo, who was otherwise healthy, wanted to join the basketball team, but had trouble running laps.

Following a recommendation from her pediatrician for a sports physical, concerns arose during the check-up. The doctor detected a murmur and noted symptoms of heart palpitations indicating an underlying issue. Dr. Steve Pophal from Advocate Children’s Hospital recounted the series of events that led to the life-saving procedure.

Paramo, who has no history of heart disease, was diagnosed with an enlarged heart.

At first, doctors tried to repair her heart, but it became apparent she needed a new one.

“The hardest thing is waiting to see if she’s going to get better, if she’s going to have a new heart fast,” Ortiz said.

“It is every parent’s worst fear to see their healthy child engaged in sports one moment and then hospitalized the next,” shared Dr. Luca Vricella, a member of the medical team at Advocate Children’s Hospital. The sudden turn of events underscored the importance of early detection and swift medical intervention in such cases.

Paramo spent a couple of months in the hospital, celebrating her 15th birthday there with a quinceañera.

Her doctors say she’s having a great recovery, calling her a rock star.

“We did the transplant on the fourth of December, and she was discharged to Ronald McDonald House on the 18th. And then, on the 23rd of December, she went home to celebrate,” Vricella said.

Paramo is cleared to play sports, and plans to try out for her high school basketball team.