The Torrance Memorial Pediatric unit recently made a debut of its new location, presenting patients and staff with a number of fresh new features. One such addition is two highly-anticipated Starlight Fun Centers, donated by the Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance (YPPA).

While other kids living in Palos Verdes in the 1980s were emulating stars like Madonna, Duran Duran and Bon Jovi, at age 5, Nakul Dev Mahajan would take every opportunity to borrow his parents’ cassette player, take it out in the yard and play their collection of Eastern Indian music. Dancing around the trees, he would reenact the elaborate scenes from their collection of Bollywood movies.

As Torrance Memorial’s NICU moves to a new home, its longtime medical director reflects on a Christmas Eve miracle.

It wouldn’t be a holiday party without music. For more than a decade, DJ Dewey has been there to set just the right musical tone for each moment of the Holiday Festival—from the fashion show to the gala to the public hours.

“When you are enjoying something as much as I enjoy the Holiday Festival, who counts how many years it has been? I know it is over 10, as I used to have hair,” Dewey says with a chuckle.

Even while vacationing in Banff, Canada this past summer, Bev George couldn’t seem to shake her pre-occupation with pending orders of hundreds of wreaths, garlands and evergreen trees.

“Four orders arrived during my vacation. My living room was a quick reminder of the work ahead,” she says. “It’s always great to be back home and get back to work.”

For the past 30 years, the Luminaries and Novas volunteer organizations have provided exclusive support to Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

In addition to being “helping hands” at various events throughout the year, their fundraising efforts have included selling stocking stuffers and handmade themed blankets at Holiday Festival’s Children’s Marketplace, the Novas’ annual bake sale, and most recently, a 5K at South Coast Botanical gardens.

Torrance Memorial's genetic counselor may put your mind at ease.

You’ve just been diagnosed with cancer. So many questions arise. You want to know why you got it. You also wonder, is it genetic? Does your family need to be concerned they’ll get it too? Questions like these can be answered by a licensed genetic counselor.

The Campbell family’s relationship with Torrance Memorial Medical Center spans decades, but it was Paul Campbell’s trip to the emergency department that got the family involved with the Patrons program.

Stepping into Kate Crane’s El Segundo office, one is immediately surrounded by a sense of calm. The sea-blue colors and beach-themed décor exude a feeling of tranquility that aptly reflects the suite’s occupant. However, that calmness should not be confused with lack of energy. Crane gets things done.

Growing up in the South Bay, Hilary Zachry spent a lot of time at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. She had a rare respiratory disease and was in and out of the hospital for treatment between the ages of 6 and 12.

“It was a terrible time, but [I was touched by] the care and commitment of the physicians,” Hilary recalls. “I have so many memories of just having great experiences with the health care professionals at Torrance Memorial decades ago.”

Irene Goldman and David Sato have been married for more than 30 years—long enough to find each other often saying what the other is thinking. One of the shared activities they have found most meaningful has been serving their community by volunteering at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

Goldman started volunteering at the hospital 10 years ago, after she retired from her career as an administrative assistant.

Candy Isidro, a volunteer in Torrance Memorial’s Employee Health Clinic since 2011, is still learning to master all the features of the red Lexus RX 450H she won by entering the opportunity drawing at Torrance Memorial’s Holiday Festival last year.

“I’ve never won anything before,” says Isidro. “Winning this car was an absolute surprise for me and my family.”

Patients in the pediatric unit playroom are now enjoying a new train table thanks to the work of More Sensible, an entrepreneurial mentor group for high schoolers.

Through the group’s A Million Pennies (AMP) project, they also recently hired Snow White to spend time with child life specialist Gina Sievert and patients as a special birthday present for Sievert, who approved the hospital’s partnership with AMP.

The Mastery in Transformational Training (MITT) leadership program cohort, a workshop in which participants are encouraged to “be the change they want to see,” decided raising funds to benefit the Pediatric Burn Unit would be that change. On May 24, 2018, they began fundraising. In less than three weeks, they raised more than $17,000 from fundraisers which included a dating auction, BBQ poker tournament, Tarot card readings and dancing, and other fun events.

By Nancy Gragg, CWS

Gender roles are evolving quickly in today’s day and age. No longer are lines drawn in the sand dividing the roles men and women play in a household. Most notable seems to be the role of women in the household financial equation. Much of this trend has to do with confidence and education, so let’s review some important steps you can take…

Written by The Torrance Memorial Professional Advisory Council

Torrance Memorial is now partnering with Cedars-Sinai to provide the most comprehensive heart failure care in the South Bay. This affiliation formalizes what has been a growing collaboration over the last several years between the heart failure teams at both hospitals. The goal of the partnership is to provide advanced, life-saving treatment for even the sickest heart failure patients.

Comprehensive Heart Failure Treatment, Right Here in South Bay

Investing your wealth seems to be as confusing as ever. The new U.S. tax law adds perhaps the most significant changes to business and personal taxation since the 1980s. Worldwide, stock markets trended upward in 2017 with minimal volatility. It appears capitalist “animal spirits” that drive investment in equipment and allow for payroll increases have been released. Still, we worry about inflation. Will the aging population drag down growth? What is this Bitcoin thing?

For the newly retired local psychiatrist, Dr. John Sealy, there’s no greater thrill than watching a gift—whether financial or simply the gift of time, effort and attention—bear fruit in someone else’s life. Gardening is one of Dr. Sealy’s passions, and he sees parallels between that hobby and his nearly 50-year career as a psychiatrist.

Dr. Melanie Friedlander doesn’t know what drove her to medicine. She just always knew. “I announced one day that I was going to be a doctor,” the New Jersey native recalls. “And when I was in seventh grade, I told my parents that I was going to be a surgeon.”

Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance (YPPA) began as the brainchild of the late Richard Hoffman, MD, a dedicated and pioneering radiologist at Torrance Memorial. It was at his suggestion, made to the hospital Foundation board, that the group was formed to engage younger members of the South Bay community with Torrance Memorial—by bringing young physicians and professionals together for social events and philanthropic activities.

The Hunt family’s support of Torrance Memorial Medical Center is three generations in the making. It’s where Donald George Hunt received care before he passed away at age 96. It is where two of his grandsons were born and where his daughter-in-law was a longtime employee. The sister of Donald’s wife, Priscilla, also received cancer treatments there.

It’s 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday and there’s a school assembly vibe in the air.

Steve Baker is a creature of habit—bedtime at 10 p.m., morning alarm at 6 a.m. and in the shower 15 minutes later. That’s why when Steve was awake and agitated at 5:15 on the morning of February 22, his wife, Namele, knew something wasn’t right. When she saw the left side of his face looked weaker than the right, she immediately suspected he’d had a stroke.

By Christian Cordoba, CFP

From incapacity planning to legacy and gifting intentions, a well-constructed estate plan can be one of the greatest gifts you provide your loved ones to remove unnecessary stress during an emotional time of loss—but only if it is properly executed. Be sure to check your estate plan for these critical financial planning updates.

By Stephanie Bezner, Attorney

In December, Congress passed significant tax legislation. The federal estate tax exemption was increased to $10,000,000 per person, adjusted for inflation. For 2018, the federal estate tax exemption is now $11,200,000. This means estate taxes will impact less than 0.5% of the people in the United States! As a result, some people are thinking estate planning is not necessary because their net worth is so much lower.