When Maria Teresa Gonzalez was told that the shortness of breath and chest pain she was feeling came from a narrowing in her aortic valve, she didn’t panic. “God gives each one what will happen in this world,” she says with quiet confidence. But at 103 years old, the beloved bisabuelita (great-grandmother) from Santiago de las Vegas, Cuba, knew one thing for sure: she wasn’t done living.

“I wanted to live,” Ms. Gonzalez says simply. “I still had more to give—to my family, to my great-grandson. He is mi vida, my life.”

That determination led her to Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, and Nish Patel, M.D., an interventional cardiologist specializing in complex valve procedures. Dr. Patel saw not just a number but a vibrant woman with a strong spirit and a loving family.

“Although she was 103, she looked much younger than her age and was very functional,” Dr. Patel recalls. “One of her favorite activities was cooking for her great-grandson.”

(Watch now: Heart surgery is delicate work—especially when your patient is 103. See how Nish Patel, M.D., at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute helped a family’s beloved bisabuelita get back home where she belongs. Video by Michael Justiz.)

Maria Teresa Gonzalez

A Life of Caring for Others

Long before she was a patient, Ms. Gonzalez cared for others. As a young woman in Cuba, she worked as a nurse. “A friend of mine wanted to enroll in nursing school and told me, ‘Let’s start together,’” she recalls.

Over the years, regardless of the hospital she worked in, Ms. Gonzalez was always beloved by patients and colleagues alike. “Wherever I worked, they liked me because I gave love to others,” she says. “And that’s what I received at Baptist Health—love.”

Much later in life, she was the sole caregiver for her cancer-stricken sister. “Even at nearly 80, I assisted my sister with cancer and took care of her until she passed,” she says. “I’m not a nurse now but I will always be a nurse.”

Diagnosis: Severe Aortic Stenosis

Ms. Gonzalez had been experiencing increasing fatigue, chest tightness and shortness of breath—symptoms typical of aortic stenosis, a condition where the valve that controls blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body becomes narrowed. Left untreated, it can be life-threatening.

“Ms. Gonzalez came to us hospitalized with acute congestive heart failure,” says Dr. Patel. “We found that she also had severe aortic stenosis—that’s how I was introduced to her.” Valve replacement is the best solution for most patients with aortic stenosis, he notes, but “for someone Maria’s age, traditional open-heart surgery would have carried tremendous risk.”

Nish Patel, M.D.

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, anesthesiologists, imaging specialists and nurses at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Dr. Patel devised a careful treatment plan that would allow her to benefit from a newer, less invasive approach: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

A Minimally Invasive Path to Healing

With TAVR, the surgeon replaces a damaged aortic valve without open-heart surgery. Using a catheter inserted through a small incision in the leg, a new valve is threaded to the heart and deployed within the old one, restoring normal blood flow. The recovery time is faster and the results can be life-changing, Dr. Patel points out—“especially for older adults or those too fragile for traditional surgery.”

Dr. Patel says the expertise available at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute makes it a leading center in South Florida for TAVR and other structural heart procedures. “We’ve performed more than 1,500 of these procedures. Personally, I’ve done over a thousand.”

For Miami’s aging population—and especially for Hispanic families who treasure their elders and often have them live with them under the same roof—procedures like TAVR offer hope that loved ones can continue living independently, with dignity and vitality.

Chronological Age Versus Biological Age

Neither Dr. Patel nor Ms. Gonzalez was deterred by her advanced age when considering the innovative TAVR procedure.

“Maria’s case reflects a core belief that drives my practice,” Dr. Patel says. “I always believe age is just a number. There’s chronological age and then there’s biological age. Some patients in their nineties have plenty of years left and Maria is a perfect example.”

Dr. Patel envisions a future where medical decisions are guided less by birth date and more by functional health, spirit and goals. “I visualize a future where, when you go to the hospital, you’ll have both a chronological and biological age listed side by side,” he adds. “Because people like Maria remind us that one’s life and vitality can’t be measured by years alone.”

Thorough Planning and Expert Execution

All surgeries require extensive preparation—especially when the patient is 103. “TAVR is about 70% planning and 30% execution,” Dr. Patel explains. “The most important part is the preparation. If you plan appropriately, the risk is very low, regardless of the patient’s age.”

Before committing to TAVR, however, Dr. Patel performed a “mini” procedure called a balloon aortic valvuloplasty. “We place a tiny balloon inside the blocked valve and inflate it to temporarily open the valve,” he explains. “It only lasts a few months but it helps us confirm that the symptoms are indeed from the valve and that the patient can benefit from TAVR.”

The results were clear—Ms. Gonzalez’s energy and breathing improved. “Then,” says Dr. Patel, “we essentially replicated the same procedure with the new valve.”

Baptist Health “Magnificent All Around”

Ms. Gonzalez remembers every detail of her care at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute with warmth. “Dr. Patel is lovely and a divine professional,” she says. “Every nurse, even the person who cleans the floors, is so attentive. On a scale from 1 to 10, Baptist Health is a 10—they’re magnificent all around.”

She smiles recalling the kindness of the nurses who helped her sit up, walk and even bathe. “There was a lady who came to give me a bed bath. It was such a beautiful experience,” she says. “I take with me a great memory of the hospital—it was all very nice.”

After TAVR, Ms. Gonzalez’s recovery was quick. “For me, it has been a success—thanks to God. When I got home, I went to the kitchen and made coffee right away,” she says. It’s a simple image—an elderly abuela over the stove in her cocina—but it captures the very essence of what Baptist Health strives to achieve: restoring not only one’s life but also their quality of life.

Faith, Family and a Will to Live

Ms. Gonzalez credits her strength to both medical care and love. “Between the operation and the love of my loved ones, I have been recovering very quickly,” she says. Her family rallied around her with prayer and support. “When I was sick, everyone prayed for me—even my parish priest came to the hospital.”

At home, her great-grandson, Luis, fills her days with joy. “He is mi pedacito, my little piece,” she says. “When surrounded by family, one maintains optimism about the beautiful things to come.”

Ms. Gonzalez’s optimism extends to her daily life: tending to her garden, making her bed and helping in the kitchen. “I go to therapy like someone going to spend time at the park,” Ms. Gonzalez laughs. “Sometimes I overdo it but they tell me, ‘You’ve overdone it in a good way.’”

World-Class Care Here at Home

For Dr. Patel, the reward of this work goes beyond medical outcomes. “She’s doing really well,” he says. “Her granddaughter told me Maria prays for me every single day. Being part of someone’s prayer—that’s such an amazing reward.”

Dr. Patel also reflects on the broader mission of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Baptist Health, which has cared for generations of Miami-area families. “We are committed to providing world-class care right here in our community,” he says. “Our goal is to ensure that every patient—no matter their age or background—receives compassionate, personalized and technologically advanced treatment.”

Caring for an Aging Population

That combination of innovation and humanity has made Baptist Health a beacon for the diverse and aging population in Miami-Dade County, which according to the American Association for Retired People (AARP) is home to the largest older-adult population in Florida, with more than half a million residents aged 60 and over.

From the latest minimally invasive techniques to the warmth of a bilingual care team that understands cultural nuances, the care provided by Baptist Health feels both cutting-edge and deeply familiar for many patients.

Lessons From a Centenarian

Ms. Gonzalez recently celebrated her 104th birthday—a milestone few reach and even fewer reach with such grace. She spends her days surrounded by family, faith and gratitude. “I’ve been blessed with a quiet life,” she reflects. “Even if I feel bad, good people around me comfort me and cheer me up.”

She offers advice that sounds both simple and profound: “Mental health is as important as heart health.” And, echoing her doctor’s own philosophy, she adds: “God’s signs are fulfilled. I’m the only one of my siblings left—but He has given me wonderful grandchildren who care for me.”

Ms. Gonzalez’s story is a testament to what’s possible when advanced medicine meets cultural empathy and faith in life’s purpose. It reminds Miami’s older adults and their families that age doesn’t have to be a limit—especially when there are experts such as Dr. Patel at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute who can care for them with the quality, skill and compassion Baptist Health is known for.

Dr. Patel sums up his patient’s story with an adage that has stayed with him throughout his adult life: “‘In the joy of others lies our own’—that thought encapsulates everything about Maria,” he says. “She takes great joy in helping others.”

To learn more about procedures and physicians at Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care, click here.