With her July 10 due date fast approaching, Dana expected the final days of her pregnancy to be filled with anticipation. Instead, on July 7, she woke up with a deep sense that something was wrong...
An Unexpected Home Delivery — and the Village That Stepped in to Help
Avante had been receiving prenatal care at Holy Name for months, and everything was going as planned, up until two weeks before her due date. What started as mild cramping in the early hours of...
First-time mom Arlenis Alvarez was looking forward to giving birth to her baby boy at the BirthPlace at Holy Name Medical Center. However, she wasn’t prepared when Enzo decided to...
Overcoming One of the Rarest Cancers with Expertise—and Faith
When 34-year-old Carla Viteri Salas became pregnant with her second child, she expected the usual joys and challenges of pregnancy. Instead, she was diagnosed with one of the rarest...
Don’t Dismiss the Signs: Finding Colon Cancer — and Options for individualized treatment — at Age 31
In the fall of 2024, 31-year-old Monika Kiparizovska began to notice that something wasn’t right. She was healthy and active, but by November she wasn’t feeling like herself. Her bowel,...
"Destiny Brought Me Here”: How A Clinical Trial at Holy Name Gave Vinu a Second Chance
When Vinu was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she pursued every standard treatment option available. After the cancer returned four years later, she turned to a clinical trial at Holy Name...
Strong and Confident, Even with Congenital Heart Disease
At just 28 years old, Katelyn Cristaldi is no stranger to heart surgery. Born with congenital heart disease (CHD)—a group of heart defects present at birth that affect the heart’s structure and blood flow—she...
As Sadiq Mohammed approached his 60th birthday, he felt confident about his health. He worked out at the gym three times a week, combining cardio and weight training. He...
Nick, 53, has spent more than 25 years navigating the physical and emotional challenges of multiple sclerosis since being diagnosed in 2000. Even before his diagnosis, he sensed something was wrong. In the late 1990s...
Whole-Person Care: Finding Stability and Living Well with MS
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) just months after welcoming his first child in 1993, Tom Soranno, a U.S. Marine and Ph.D. toxicologist, suddenly found his life turned...
A Family Who Fights Together: Digna and Yanni’s MS Journey
At Holy Name’s MS Center, stories of resilience unfold every day. One of the most inspiring comes from Digna Nunez and her son Yanni—two patients, one diagnosis, and a shared journey of strength, acceptance, and hope.
It started as a dream trip. While vacationing in Puerto Rico in September 2025, Sharon slipped on steps in Old San Juan and fractured her left fifth metatarsal, the outermost bone of her foot. She also...
Getting His Life Back: How Robotic Fusion Put a Former Firefighter Back in Action
Staying active wasn’t optional for Westwood resident and former firefighter Baron Ballester — it was who he was. His identity had been shaped by a 26-year career in the...
Finally, Relief from Debilitating Back Pain: Lynette’s Story
An avid skier, Lynette had been dreaming about a trip to the Alps. But for more than a year, the pain in her back was so bad that she had trouble walking...
Walking Together and Building Community, One Step at a Time
Each week, residents gathered at Votee Park for warm-ups and guided walks, building distance incrementally as their strength and confidence grew. Along the way, Holy Name's medical staff and fitness professionals walked with...
From Sleepless to Rested: John Finds Relief with Inspire Therapy
"I would wake up every morning at 7 a.m. and spend the next two hours or so recovering from the lousy night’s sleep I had,” John says. “I think the only rest I was getting was those two and a half hours of just...
Building Community Through Fitness: Roberto’s Story
Roberto S. has always excelled at playing sports: He was a standout athlete at Hackensack High School, a football player at East Carolina University, and later a professional arena football player. He then gave back to the...