In May 2025, Emalee, age 6, attended an event at the Pittsburgh Zoo through Make-A-Wish®. She was thrilled to meet Ruby, the zoo’s mascot — a costumed, life-sized red panda. She later visited the zoo’s gift shop, where she found a stuffed version to take home. Red Panda became her new best friend and constant companion.
As a newborn, Emalee was diagnosed with an extreme form of tetralogy of Fallot — a congenital disorder with a combination of four heart defects that changes the way blood flows. Her case was further complicated by pulmonary valve atresia and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries. By age 6, she’d had a lifetime of surgeries, including four open heart surgeries performed by pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Victor Morell, MD.
A few weeks after her trip to the zoo, Emalee and Red Panda came back to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. There, she had what would be her 10th heart catheterization to check pressures in her lungs and keep blood vessels open. The latest catheterization was performed by Jacqueline Kreutzer, MD, who also performed many of the other procedures. Before returning home the next day, Emalee insisted on stopping at the hospital cafeteria for her favorite dish: cheese pizza!