Monthly Archives: March 2026

Miracle Marcos

Marcos at age 4, alongside his parents, Mailyn and Marcos, and his neonatologist, Dr. Melanie Leong

In June of 2021, what should have been a joyful moment for Mailyn quickly turned into a fight for survival. Her son Marcos was born full-term at Good Samaritan Hospital after an emergency C-section, while Mailyn herself suffered severe hemorrhaging and had to be rushed to Westchester Medical Center. As doctors worked to save her, baby Marcos was struggling too. Suspected of meconium aspiration, he was transferred to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital—but during the transfer, he went into distress and stopped breathing. In a matter of hours, this new family was facing unimaginable uncertainty.

When Mailyn woke from surgery the next day, she was met with devastating news: Marcos’ condition was dire. His care team, led by Dr. Melanie Leong, explained that he needed ECMO—a life-saving treatment that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs. For six long days, Marcos remained on ECMO, supported by machines and a team of experts who refused to give up on him. Every moment was critical, every decision vital. Because of the extraordinary skill, compassion, and dedication of the NICU staff, Marcos began to recover. After 21 days in the hospital, he was finally strong enough to go home.

Today, Marcos is a thriving, joyful four-year-old who is not only meeting milestones—but exceeding them. Mailyn calls him her miracle, and she credits the team at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital for saving his life. 

Stories like Marcos’s are only possible through donor support. Your generosity helps ensure that life-saving care, advanced technology, and compassionate teams are there for families when they need them most.

Local ShopRite Stores Raise over $83,000 in Support of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital

We recently visited ShopRite in Chester, NY, to celebrate our ongoing partnership and the incredible generosity of the ShopRite community. During a two-week campaign last November, customers at ShopRite locations across the Hudson Valley donated more than $83,000 to support Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and its lifesaving care for local children. We are deeply grateful to the ShopRite staff and their dedicated customers for their continued commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the families we serve.

To learn how you or your business can partner with us to advance the quality of care in our community, click here.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Celebrated Valentine’s Day with Love from the Community

Love was in the air this February as we partnered with some amazing local businesses to spread joy throughout Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. On February 13, we teamed up with the Hillcrest Marshall Dunkin’ for a special Valentine’s celebration at the hospital, delivering smiles — and plenty of donuts — to patients and their families. Heavenly Productions added to the joy by donating more than 200 stuffed animals, and Walmart helped spread the love with handmade Valentine’s Day cards, making the holiday even more meaningful for our patients and their families.

Heart Health Celebrated at Heart Night Out

On Thursday, February 26, Heart Night Out (formerly Girls’ Night Out), the annual fundraiser for the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute, was held at The Hollows at DeCicco & Sons in Sleepy Hollow. Guests enjoyed heartwarming stories, shopped for a cause, and helped raise vital funds to advance heart health. Steven Lansman, MD, PhD, Director of the Department of Surgery at Westchester Medical Center, received the Physician Exemplar award for his outstanding work in the field of cardiology.  Virginia Kolner, Director of Medical Operations at the New York State Troopers Surgeons, was given the Heart Hero award for her ongoing role in helping New York State Troopers receive cardiac care. Proceeds from the event benefit the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute, which offers a wide range of cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and vascular surgery services, including heart transplantation, treatment for heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and more, to Hudson Valley residents.

View photos of event »