The San Diego Union-Tribune Del Mar Woman Marks First Anniversary of a New Heart and Kidney Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 12 January 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles The San Diego Union-Tribune Del Mar Woman Marks First Anniversary of a New Heart and Kidney Shana Pereira received her heart and kidney transplant on Christmas Day 2020 at Cedars-Sinai. Photo by Getty Images. The San Diego Union-Tribune recently interviewed Shana Pereira, who on Christmas Day celebrated the first anniversary of her kidney and heart transplant being performed at Cedars-Sinai. She credits her cardiologist, Dael Geft, MD, associate director of Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Education Advanced Heart Disease at the Smidt Heart Institute, for her Christmas miracle. Pereira, 41, of Del Mar, was put on the kidney transplant list in 2016. In 2019, she received word of a willing kidney donor. But by the time all necessary tests were completed the following year, her surgery was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pereira received more bad news in 2020 when a heart stress test revealed she had blocked coronary arteries, ultimately putting her on the waiting list for a heart transplant as well. Despite the setbacks, Geft encouraged Pereira, telling her, "Do you know how many people are walking around L.A. with heart and kidney transplants doing marathons? You have a special energy, and my job is to keep you alive." The transplant team at Cedars-Sinai performs more adult transplants than any other U.S. hospital, according to the Union-Tribune. They manually kept Pereira's heart beating after it stopped on Christmas Day 2020 and successfully transplanted a new heart and kidney for her. Pereira now works to promote organ donation and turn the tide for the 8,000 people on the national transplant waiting list who die each year waiting for an organ. "This is an important message for me, especially at this time of year," she told the Union-Tribune. "Don’t give up hope. Thanks to organ transplant, my life turned into a Christmas miracle movie." Click here to read the complete article from The San Diego Union-Tribune. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release The San Diego Union-Tribune Del Mar Woman Marks First Anniversary of a New Heart and Kidney Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home