LA Loft Blog

A Mother’s Gift: The Foundation for a Lifelong Passion in Writing

Every mother has her unique way of guiding and teaching her children. My mother was no exception. She was instrumental in teaching me to read and write even before I started my formal education. Her nurturing and guidance have made me who I am today: a passionate writer and the proud author of the L.A. Loft Blog. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I want to share my story as a tribute to my mother and all the amazing moms out there who shape their children’s lives in profound ways.

The Wise Woman and Her Free-Range Approach

My mother was not the type to constantly instruct me on what to do or not to do. Instead, she was more of a free-range mom who believed in giving me space to learn and grow at my own pace. She offered valuable advice when needed, and time has revealed that she was, indeed, a wise woman. Her approach allowed me to develop a strong sense of independence and curiosity, which later translated into my passion for reading and writing.

The Gift of Reading and Writing

Before I even set foot in my first grade classroom, my mother had already taught me to read and write at a third-grade level. She recognized the importance of a strong foundation in literacy and spent countless hours nurturing my abilities. This early start in my education not only made me feel confident and ready for school but also sparked a love for reading and writing that has stayed with me throughout my life.

The L.A. Loft Blog: A Testament to a Mother’s Love

In addition to Loft Blog readers, friends and clients, my mother’s guidance and support led to my success. Her belief in me and her dedication to my education laid the groundwork for my passion for writing. This Mother’s Day, I want to acknowledge her impact on my life and express my gratitude for her unwavering love and support.

A Gift for All Mothers

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the wisdom, love, and dedication of all mothers, both present and those who are no longer with us. Each mother has her unique way of shaping her children’s lives, and their influence lasts a lifetime. So here’s a heartfelt gift to all moms out there: Buy a home in May, get $5,000 cash from your broker, the Corey Chambers Team, at closing. Happy Mother’s Day!

Though my mother is no longer here, her legacy lives on in my writing and my love for reading. Her wisdom and love have made a lasting impact on my life, and I am forever grateful. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s remember to honor and appreciate the incredible women who have made us who we are today. Happy Mother’s Day to all the wise, loving, and dedicated mothers out there. Your impact is immeasurable, and your love knows no bounds.

Supporting Moms at Children’s Hospital: How Your Real Estate Referrals Can Help Families in Need

There are many ways to make a positive impact on the lives of families with sick children. At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the dedicated staff goes above and beyond to support mothers whose children are fighting for their lives. As we approach Mother’s Day, it’s important to remember that many moms are by their child’s bedside, focusing on their well-being rather than on their own special day. One way you can help these moms and their children is through your real estate referrals. Read on to learn how your referrals can make a difference in the lives of these families.

The Mission: Raising $25,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Our team is on a mission to raise $25,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The funds raised will support the Children’s Recovery Center, where kids battling cancer and other debilitating diseases receive life-saving care. The Recovery Center relies on sponsorships and donations to operate, and your real estate referrals can help ensure that more children have access to this vital resource.

Children receiving care at the Children’s Recovery Center are 300% more likely to enter remission when they can access its services. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of these young patients and their families.

How Your Referrals Help the Kids

When you refer someone to our real estate sales team, not only do they benefit from our award-winning service, but we also donate a substantial portion of our income from every home sale to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. This means that your referrals directly contribute to the well-being of children in need.

How to Make a Referral

Referring someone is easy. Just visit www.ReferralsHelpKids.com or call us directly at 213-880-9910. You can rest assured that your referrals will receive excellent service, as well as our exclusive guarantees:

• Home Sellers: We will sell your home at your price, or we’ll buy it ourselves.*
• Home Buyers: If you are not completely satisfied with your home within 24 months of purchase, we will buy it back or sell it for free, your choice.*

Why Your Referrals Matter

Your referrals not only help us provide top-notch real estate services, but they also support a worthy cause. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles relies on the generosity of people like you to continue its life-saving work.

As we honor mothers this month, let’s not forget the moms who are fighting for their children’s lives. Your referrals can make a difference for these families and help Children’s Hospital continue its vital mission.

*Conditions apply. Please inquire for details.

A Lifelong Connection: Why I Support Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a beacon of hope for countless families in need of specialized care for their children. As a native of the Greater Los Angeles Area, I have always felt a deep connection to this incredible institution and its mission. In this article, I will share my personal story of why I support Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and how my team and I work together to contribute to their cause.

A Personal Connection to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

We are grateful for your support in our effort to raise $25,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. By referring friends, family, and associates to our real estate sales team, you’re not only helping them find their dream home, but you’re also giving back to a meaningful cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Visit www.ReferralsHelpKids.com or call us at 213-880-9910 to make a referral today.

Growing up in the Greater Los Angeles Area, I was born in Los Angeles County at St. Francis Hospital. My connection to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles began when a young person close to our family suffered from a severe illness and received treatment at CHLA. This experience opened my eyes to the vital work carried out by the dedicated healthcare professionals at the hospital. As a result, I felt compelled to contribute to their mission in any way possible.

The Common Cause: Healing Young Lives

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles brings together hard-working healthcare professionals from the Los Angeles area, united by a common cause – to help young people overcome the health challenges life sometimes presents. As a native of the area, I take immense pride in supporting the incredible work carried out by the CHLA team. My team and I have made it our annual goal to raise money and donate a portion of our income to help CHLA in their quest to heal young people when they need it the most.

Our Commitment to Supporting CHLA

My team and I are dedicated to providing outstanding results for buyers and sellers referred to us by our past clients. We have found that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shares a similar commitment to their patients. Since their services rely on sponsorships and donations, we are delighted to contribute and proud to support their life-changing work.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is an institution that has touched the lives of countless families in the Greater Los Angeles Area. My personal connection to CHLA has inspired me and my team to support their mission in any way we can. By raising funds and donating a portion of our income, we aim to contribute to the incredible work they do to heal young lives. Together, we can make a difference and help CHLA continue to provide hope and healing to those who need it the most.

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From Fetal Diagnosis to Fontan Procedure to Fun-loving Kid

E.J. was born with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, a rare single-ventricle heart defect.

Five months into an uneventful pregnancy for their second child, Marie and Noel received news from their obstetrician no parents want to hear—the latest scan looked as if something was seriously wrong with their unborn baby’s heart.

“We were pretty shocked, hoping it wasn’t true and the next ultrasound would show that,” Noel says. “There was definitely some denial, some shock and hope.”

Their obstetrician referred them to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Fetal Cardiology Program, part of the nationally ranked Heart Institute, where specialists have both the experience and technology to diagnose and treat the most complex neonatal heart defects.

Pediatric cardiologist Grace Kung, MD, performed a fetal echocardiogram. “At 20 weeks gestation, we can get a clear picture of the heart’s chambers, valves and arteries and the direction of blood flow,” she says.

What Dr. Kung saw confirmed the suspicions. Marie and Noel’s baby had a rare heart defect called pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum. In this condition, the pulmonary valve between the heart and lungs doesn’t form properly, or at all, and blood can’t flow normally from the heart’s right lower chamber (ventricle) to the lungs to pick up oxygen for the body.

About 1% of babies are born each year in the U.S. with a congenital heart defect. Pulmonary atresia is even more rare—it affects about 1% of that 1%, or 1 in 7,100 babies annually.

“We knew the road ahead would be difficult at times,” says Marie, “but Children’s Hospital was going to help us. They quickly developed a whole plan for us.”

Making a diagnosis in utero gives doctors a chance to strategize before birth. “It takes away any surprises, and we can prevent the baby from getting too sick,” says Dr. Kung.

CHLA’s fetal cardiology specialists collaborate with other experts across the Heart Institute, including world-class congenital heart surgeons, fetal surgeons, heart rhythm specialists, neonatologists and imaging specialists. “What sets CHLA apart is our collaborative work,” says Dr. Kung. “Every patient is discussed throughout their care.”

Welcome to the world

Marie gave birth to their 6-pound, 2-ounce baby boy next door to CHLA on Nov. 23, 2015.

The couple named him Emmanuel, his father’s actual first name—meaning “God with us.” They chose his middle name—Josiah—after learning about his heart disease. “Josiah means ‘Jehovah has healed,’” says Marie, “pretty much declaring the hope of healing over his life, however that healing comes.”

The right side of E.J.’s heart was smaller than the left—too small to do its usual job of pumping blood to the lungs. He would need a series of three surgeries called single-ventricle palliation to enhance his heart’s pumping capabilities.

Normally, a blood vessel provides a fetus with oxygenated blood in utero. The vessel closes soon after birth, but doctors gave E.J. medicine to keep it open. On day 2, they inserted a stent—a small, metal mesh tube—inside the vessel. “Instead of a direct route between the blood vessels to the body and the blood vessels to the lungs, it creates a detour,” says Dr. Kung.

E.J.’s recovery went smoothly until day 10. His oxygen saturation level plummeted to zero and his heartbeat slowed dangerously, then briefly stopped. Watchful CTICU nurses started chest compressions, and E.J. was rushed to the operating room for intervention on his atrial septum, a wall separating the heart’s upper chambers.

The incident illustrated something Marie and Noel quickly learned as parents of a baby with a heart defect: the times in between major surgeries could be scarier than the major procedures, says Marie.

They also learned to be careful monitors of their son’s health and idiosyncrasies. For example, sometimes E.J. simply held his breath, then started breathing normally again. Marie would assure nurses new to his bedside there was no need to panic.

Both parents were comforted by how closely the doctors, nurses and other team members listened to them. “Their knowledge and attentiveness really gave us peace of mind,” says Noel.

Just before Christmas, 1-month-old E.J. came home for the first time and met his big sister, Arabella, almost 3 years old. “She knew she had a brother,” says Marie, “but she wanted to see him for herself.”

The family returned to CHLA when E.J. was 5 months old for the Glenn procedure. Surgeons connected one of the large veins that returns blood to the heart to the pulmonary artery, while another vein kept blood flowing to the right side of the heart.

Since birth, E.J.’s oxygen saturation level had been consistently low, once dipping down to 33%, far below the desired 95% to 100%. Before the Glenn Procedure, his level averaged about 60% to 70%. Now it began rising. “He was very active, with a lot of energy,” Marie says.

Just before E.J.’s third birthday, he underwent the Fontan procedure. This time, cardiac surgeons rerouted his circulation so blood from the lower body went directly to his lungs, while high-oxygen blood went into the heart. Suddenly, E.J.’s oxygen levels jumped to 95%—finally within the healthy range.

Lifelong monitoring and care

The number of Fontan surgeries that the Heart Institute performs annually is among the largest in the U.S. “Single-ventricle defects are challenging conditions to treat. Although they are quite rare, you wouldn’t know it coming to CHLA,” says Andrew Cheng, MD, who leads the multidisciplinary Fontan Program. “We see patients with this type of condition every single day.” The program helps troubleshoot potential complications for children with Fontan circulation, including problems with the liver, kidneys and lungs, along with learning disabilities and mental health problems.

When they visit the Fontan Program, families can see specialists from every key area in one visit as needed. The goal of this monitoring: early detection and treatment.

In February 2024, CHLA opened the Fetal Cardiac Clinic. This dedicated home for the Fetal Cardiology Program offers over 3,000 square feet and three scanning rooms for comprehensive care to expectant mothers and the fetal patient population during and after pregnancy. In addition to fetal echocardiograms, its advanced prenatal diagnostic tools include 3D/4D ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging and maternal hyperoxygenation testing.

E.J.’s journey continues

Above all, “we want these children with heart defects to be normal kids,” says Dr. Kung, who became E.J.’s primary cardiologist at his parent’s request. “We want them to play with other kids and go to school.”

E.J. returns regularly for checkups at CHLA, where he is a big fan of the therapy dogs, mobile library and playrooms, which Arabella also enjoys. A happy, busy 8-year-old, E.J. loves soccer, as well as jiu jitsu and basketball. He’s doing well in school, where his favorite subject is art. He sings in school performances and participates in piano recitals.

Marie and Noel started a scrapbook of the family’s experience labeled “E.J.’s Journey.” E.J. often looks through the book. He sometimes asks why he was born with a different kind of heart than his mom, dad and sister have, “but more out of curiosity,” Marie says. “He likes learning about his condition.”

E.J. calls CHLA “The Butterfly Hospital” for its iconic logo. It’s a symbol that also represents his own transformation into “normal kid.”

Find out more about the Heart Institute at CHLA.

How You Can Help

Anyone you know who might be making a move — refer them to the Corey Chambers real estate team. Not only will they benefit from our award winning service, but this very worthy cause will benefit as well. Corey Chambers 213-880-9910 helpkids@coreychambers.com www.ReferralsHelpKids.com

Copyright © This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog with information provided by Corey Chambers, Broker CalDRE 01889449. We are not associated with the seller, homeowner’s association or developer. For more information, contact 213-880-9910 or visit LALoftBlog.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Some text and images have been created or modified by artificial intelligence. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker.