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'Gabriella's Annual Scoop Night' Is a Successful Celebration

Local girl and her family give back to Connecticut Children's Medical Center Division of Cardiology in appreciation.

The impending hurricane did nothing to put a damper on the spirits of the 300 people who attended Friday night’s “Gabriella’s Annual Scoop Night” at Ice Cream on South Main Street. The event, which was held from 6-9 p.m., raised funds for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s Division of Cardiology.

Gabriella Giordano was born on August 28, 2003. Her parents, West Hartford residents Adria (a Patch blogger) and David Giordano, were thrilled and besotted with their beautiful baby girl, like all new parents. Yet soon after her birth, the baby was diagnosed with congenital cataracts, and surgery was performed to allow her to see.

Adria and David thought the worst was behind them when, at age three, Gabriella’s pediatrician detected a heart murmur, suggesting that the toddler have an EKG and an ultrasound at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

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The Giordanos’ worst fears were realized when Gabriella was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). Their little girl, who had already undergone four eye surgeries, would have to endure another procedure to close a hole in her heart.

Adria recalled, “We explained to Gabriella that she had a very special heart because she had so much love in it and it needed to be fixed so the love did not fall out. She was so brave and without a tear said ‘Okay Mommy, let’s fix it.’”

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In January, 2007, Gabriella had heart surgery and, much to her parents’ relief, was running down the hallways and playing with her little sister five days after the procedure. She continued to recover at record speed and entered kindergarten at that autumn.

A year-and-a-half later, a thriving Gabriella asked if she could bring some friends to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to celebrate her 6th birthday. Adria and David decided that they wanted to do something to give back to the hospital that had saved Gabriella’s heart so, after conferring with ice cream shop manager Kyle Groot, they decided to hold the first “Gabriella’s Scoop Night,” with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Medical Center’s cardiology unit.

With Adria, David, and other family members scooping ice cream, the event was a huge success, attracting 250 people. They decided to make it an annual event to be held around Gabriella’s birthday.

The second year, the fundraiser attracted more ice cream lovers than the previous year and a host of “celebrity” scoopers willingly donated their time for the good cause.

This year’s event was bigger and better than ever with “celebrity” scoopers such as Mayor Scott Slifka, Gabriella’s cardiologist Dr. Felice Heller, and Norfeldt teachers Erica Moses, Joan Greenfield, and Kathy Sweetland. Rocky the Rock Cat's mascot greeted people out front and the local rock band, FATGRIP performed.

Local businesses including , , , Rock Cats Baseball, Jessica Seifel Piano Studio, and donated raffle items.

Mayor Slifka manned the scoops for an hour and he kept his white t- shirt pristine. “Many of the orders have been for smoothies and milkshakes and I’m not allowed to make those – so I’ve managed to stay fairly clean,” he smiled. For the record, the mayor's favorite flavor of ice cream is cookies and cream.

Second-shift scoopers included Hartford cardiologist Dr. Felice Heller, who oversaw Gabriella’s care. She said that Gabriella’s diagnosis of ASD is quite common, present in 8 out of 1000 live births, and congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect. Heller smiled broadly when reflecting that, “it is the best feeling” to see her healthy patient having so much fun. The doctor’s favorite flavor is “Chunky Monkey,” but she cautioned “that could change by tomorrow.”

Surveying the bustling crowd enjoying cones and cups, as well as seeing her healthy little girl running around laughing with her friends, Adria was feeling very grateful.

“The one thing I want to make sure everyone knows is how appreciative my family and I are for everyone coming out to support Gabriella in her efforts to raise funds for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s Division of Cardiology. It’s really an amazing thing to see how much awareness and money can be raised in a few hours. We are so grateful to the outpouring of support from the community.”

Young Gabriella, with her beautiful smile and bountiful energy, summed up why she was so happy about the evening. “The money goes to the Children’s Hospital, I get to see a lot of people I like, and I get to have ice cream!” 

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