When Suha Dabit first heard the words “Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome” during a routine ultrasound, her world stopped. Her unborn daughter, Nadia, was missing half of her heart—a diagnosis that carried a lifetime of uncertainty, countless surgeries, and fragile hope. In that moment, Suha didn’t yet know how deeply her family’s journey would reshape not only their lives but also the lives of countless others across the world.
The early months of Nadia’s life were spent in and out of the hospital. At just five days old, she had her first open-heart surgery. Two more followed before her third birthday. Though Nadia was declared a surgical success, her tiny heart couldn’t keep up. Six weeks after her third procedure, her parents were told she needed a heart transplant. With unimaginable strength, they agreed to a complex and rare intervention: implanting a Berlin Heart—a pediatric ventricular assist device that would keep Nadia alive until a donor heart became available.
Hooked up to machines for nearly six months in intensive care, Nadia refused to let her circumstances dim her light. She played games with nurses, handed out stickers, sang songs down the hallway, and brought joy to everyone who crossed her path. Her spirit was magnetic, unbreakable, and unforgettable. Finally, a donor heart arrived—offering a second chance, a new rhythm, and a new chapter. But for Suha, Nadia’s healing wasn’t the end of the story—it was the beginning of a mission.
During those long hospital days, Suha saw parents grappling with heartbreak and hope, often without the time or means to capture precious moments with their children. She watched families whisper goodbye with only a few blurry phone photos to hold onto. That loss—the absence of tangible memories—stuck with her. She knew there had to be a way to honor these stories with beauty, dignity, and permanence.
That desire became World of Broken Hearts, a nonprofit born from a mother’s pain and transformed into a platform of healing and connection. Suha picked up a camera—an entry-level Canon Rebel—and taught herself photography. What started as a few portraits gifted to families at the same hospital where Nadia was treated, grew into something much bigger. In 2015, she launched World of Broken Hearts officially, and by 2018, it became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Through the organization, Suha offers free professional portrait sessions for families of children with congenital heart defects. Whether in the NICU, at home, or following surgery, each photograph captures more than a moment—it preserves courage, love, and legacy. Some children survive and thrive. Others don’t. But every family is left with images they’ll treasure for a lifetime.
The portraits are stunning—full of light, resilience, and raw emotion. But the heart of this work lies in Suha’s ability to connect with families in their most vulnerable seasons. She understands the unspoken fears, the long nights, the quiet prayers. Her camera is more than a tool—it’s a way to say: “I see you. You are not alone.”
World of Broken Hearts has grown into a movement of awareness and advocacy. The organization works alongside other nonprofits to shine a spotlight on congenital heart disease and promote the life-saving power of organ donation. Suha’s work has been featured in People, Good Morning America, and beyond—but her focus has never been on the headlines. It’s on the faces, the families, the warriors behind every scar.
Looking ahead, Suha dreams of expanding the reach of her work—partnering with more hospitals, training photographers, and ensuring no CHD family ever has to go without these priceless memories. For those just beginning their journey with a diagnosis, she offers compassion and understanding. For those who want to help, she encourages simple but powerful steps: say yes to organ donation, support CHD research, and share these stories.
What started in a hospital room with a tiny baby girl and a half-working heart has become a lifeline of love for families across the country. Through grief, grace, and the lens of a mother’s camera, Suha Dabit has created something extraordinary: a world where broken hearts are not hidden in silence, but seen, honored, and held forever in the light.
"Through every scar and story, Suha’s lens reminds families their love, strength, and broken hearts are beautiful—and never forgotten."