MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital as the neurology unit lobby was renamed in honor of a 23-year-old man who died after being diagnosed with Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.
Mobassaleh’s father and sister, George and Jessica Mobassaleh, made a generous donation to the hospital and hope that, through their work, they will be able to prevent sudden cardiac death in other children and young adults.
Recommended Videos
“We are grateful for the generous gift from the Mobassaleh family and for their determination in honoring Fouad’s memory,” said Perry Ann Reed, President of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “As champions for children, we stand beside them in the fight to prevent sudden cardiac death in other children.”
The new Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Mobassaleh Neurology Unit Lobby is located in the Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion of the hospital.
Since the young man’s death, his family has been determined to prevent the same tragedy from happening again.
“Fouad is the only person in the world to ever have a documented episode of WPW, which has been used widely in the medical field to study the syndrome,” a news release from the hospital stated. “In this way, Fouad’s story can help inspire and influence the future of pediatric healthcare.”
According to the hospital, the Mobassaleh family has sponsored three Sudden Cardiac Death Symposiums and will be featured at the World Congress hosted in Washington, DC.
The conferences are the first of their kind to educate healthcare professionals on the issue.
The Mobassaleh family, which owns Elegant Beauty Supplies Supercenters, has been committed to researching the rare illness and investing countless hours to fundraising through their company to raise money for the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Heart Program.
“Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is profoundly grateful for the Mobassaleh family’s dedication, through their business and their own philanthropic support, to help ensure the health and well-being of the children in our community,” said Michelle Boggs, President of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation. “We stand behind them in their mission to prevent this type of tragedy from happening to another family.”