CHICAGO (WGN) — A first grader who underwent life-saving heart surgery received a warm welcome as she returned to her South Side school on Tuesday.
Cheers and hugs greeted Joselin Nevarez at Peck Elementary School in Gage Park as her classmates and teacher all wore red to promote heart health.
“Joselin, Joselin,” chanted the welcoming students.
Joselin has lived her young life with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare condition that children are born with. The Mayo Clinic defines the condition as a congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart doesn’t develop entirely or is too small.
Joselin received a heart transplant over the summer following various treatments. She has spent the last few months recovering, but Tuesday marked her first day back to school for the 2025-26 academic year.