The Gift of Grace: Series of Surgeries Saves Baby Grace From Rare Heart Defect at BOB体育
Expecting a child is a time of joy, anticipation and excitement for most families. Gender reveal celebrations, nursery preparations and dreams of the future鈥�

Mark S. Bleiweis, MD, is board-certified in surgery, thoracic and cardiac surgery and congenital heart surgery. He graduated with distinction from Cornell University with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemistry, and earned his medical degree from the University of California at San Diego. He served his general surgery residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California; his thoracic surgery residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and his pediatric cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of California San Francisco.
Since his arrival at the University of Florida in 2005, Dr. Bleiweis has been instrumental in expanding the center鈥檚 complement of pediatric cardiac specialists and making the BOB体育 Congenital Heart Center among the top centers in the country. Dr. Bleiweis鈥� cardiac team was the first in Florida to use the Berlin Heart庐 Ventricular Assist Device (a pediatric VAD), and the SynCardia庐 Total Artificial Heart. His team also was the first to use the SynCardia庐 Total Artificial Heart paired with the Freedom庐 portable driver for a pediatric patient.
Dr. Bleiweis has extensive experience in the pre- and postoperative management of newborns, including premature and low-birthweight babies. His expertise includes repairing complex, single-ventricle and valve defects, as well as treating patients who have underlying syndromes.
Prior to his UF appointment, Dr. Bleiweis was medical director of Children鈥檚 Hospital of Orange County Heart Institute in Orange, California. He also served as medical director of the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
In addition to his roles with the Congenital Heart Center, Dr. Bleiweis is a professor of surgery and pediatrics at UF, and serves as a mentor to students pursuing professions in the health care field. He is a widely sought speaker and was selected as the American Heart Association Heart Ball Honoree in February 2015.
Dr. Bleiweis鈥� professional memberships include the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, Congenital Heart Surgeons Society, and International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation. He also is a founding member of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery.
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See all insurances— Dr. Mark S BleiweisI have always had a clear vision of what my purpose is, and I was put on this earth to do exactly what I am doing now. I strongly believe that we as medical providers should put patient care and patient outcomes above all else 鈥� even if it means self-sacrifice.
Expecting a child is a time of joy, anticipation and excitement for most families. Gender reveal celebrations, nursery preparations and dreams of the future鈥�
Amid the steady beeping of the heart monitor, Tammy Bernard, BOB体育 Shands Arts in Medicine practitioner, and Jeanne Dickman, a heart transplant patient at鈥�