Nicklaus Children's Hospital

MIAMI – October 16, 2026 -- Nicklaus Children's Hospital raised more than $4 million at its 19th Annual Diamond Ball on Saturday, October 10, funding the expansion of advanced specialized pediatric care for children and families across Florida and beyond.

Gala funds target specialized pediatric care expansion

The signature fundraising event drew community leaders, philanthropists, athletes and entertainment personalities. Radio co-hosts Enrique Santos and Dayanara Torres hosted the evening.

Allison W. Baker, President of Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation, said the proceeds will provide answers sooner, a specialist closer to home and treatment offering new hope to patients. Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children's Health System, said the gala is a major part of the system's ability to reach children in need of life-saving care.

Miami – September 16, 2026 -- Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute has completed one of the first transcatheter-based Fontan procedures performed in the United States, allowing a 2-year-old patient with double-outlet right ventricle to avoid an additional open-heart surgery. The child, born with a complex congenital heart defect, is recovering at home following the procedure.

Catheter-based technique replaces traditional open-heart surgery for Fontan completion

The care team used a catheter-based approach, guiding specialized equipment through a blood vessel to complete the child's Fontan circulation rather than performing conventional open-heart surgery. The Fontan procedure is typically the final stage in a multi-step surgical series for children born with single-ventricle heart defects, rerouting oxygen-poor blood from the body directly to the lungs without passing through a pumping chamber.