Local Heart Heroes: Charleston swim & resort week turning fashion into hope
Tue, July 28, 2026 at 8:09 PM
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News 4’s Emily Deanne will be walking the Runway for a cause. Join her at the Waverly July 30th for The Gilded Palm, part of Charleston Swim & Resort Week. (WCIV)
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) —Nearly one in every 100 babies in the United States is born with a congenital heart defect, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Behind every diagnosis is a family facing fear, uncertainty, countless medical appointments, and extraordinary resilience. This year,Charleston Swim & Resort Week is shining a spotlight on those stories through The Gilded Palm, a benefit fashion show that proves fashion can be about far more than what people wea, it can be about hope, healing, and giving back.
At the heart of this year’s event are two remarkable children: Ylvie Cuison and Daniel Fried. Though both have endured multiple heart surgeries before most children learn to walk, today they’re running, playing, smiling, and inspiring an entire community
Ylvie’s Journey: “They stitched my heart together.”
Ten-year-old Ylvie Cuison lights up every room she enters. She loves acting, modeling, and now she’ll walk the runway as one of Charleston’s Heart Heroes. But her journey began with an incredibly difficult diagnosis. During fetal development, Ylvie’s heart did not separate into the two major blood vessels that normally form
Ylvie after surgery (Provided)
“In gestation the heart’s supposed to develop into an aorta and a pulmonary artery, but hers didn’t,” her mother, Imee Cuison, explained. “So it stayed one. That’s what they call truncus.” Within her first week of life, surgeons had to perform an extremely complex operation. “The surgery involved making a pulmonary artery, which is called a conduit,” Imee said. “She had that surgery done within the first week when she was born, and then she’s had to have two more surgeries, so three surgeries in all. But that first surgery is very difficult.”
The days that followed became every parent’s nightmare. “She ended up going into renal failure, and then she had a massive stroke,” Imee recalled. “At that point they told me that she likely would not survive.” Doctors prepared the family for the worst. “She was on hospice and everything,” she said. Then something extraordinary happened. “But she survived, and she’s here today. She’s 10 years old, and she’s doing really well.”
Ylvie Cusion at the playground (WCIV)
This summer she released her first single, producing the beats and writing the lyrics on her own. It is available on all streaming platforms and on YouTube. You can follow her journey online at @ylvie_the_actress
Ylvie remembers her surgeries in a way only a resilient child can. “I had three heart surgeries until I was four,” she said. “And they stitched my heart together so I had a scar on my chest.” Today, that scar has become a symbol of strength rather than limitation
Heart Hero Ylvie on ABC News 4
A Recovery That Inspired an Entire Family
Ylvie’s recovery required far more than heart surgery. Because of the stroke she suffered as an infant, she underwent years of rehabilitation. “She had physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy after her surgery because of her stroke and everything,” Imee said. “She’s worked so hard, and she’s here today and continuing to thrive. I hope that inspires other families.”
Ylvie and her mom Imee at the playground (WCIV)
Her daughter’s survival also transformed Imee’s own life. “I had not prayed in years,” she shared. “At that point I came back to God. I started praying for my daughter—just relentlessly praying.” She says Ylvie’s recovery strengthened her faith. “She made it through,” Imee said. “Now I became a Catholic again. I’m back in the Catholic Church. I’m a Sunday school teacher. Her recovery and that whole process of her surgery has brought me back closer to God.”
Looking at her daughter today, it’s hard to imagine everything she’s overcome. “I want to give other parents hope because she is doing so well,” Imee said. “She’s had so many challenges… and she’s an actress now. She’s a model.”
Ylvie staring as Ngana in South Pacific (Provided by Engleman Theater )
Daniel’s Story Began Before He Was Born
Like Ylvie, Daniel Fried’s journey started before birth. His mother, Charleston artist and S.A.L.T. Handcraftedowner Lindsay Fried, knew something wasn’t quite right during pregnancy. “When I was pregnant, about 12 weeks along, his heart rate was faster than normal,” Lindsay said. “That started the journey.” Despite multiple fetal echocardiograms, doctors didn’t identify structural abnormalities before delivery. “They did not detect any structural abnormalities with his heart, even though he had multiple fetal echocardiograms done.”
Daniel Fried at the playground (WCIV)
Everything changed after Daniel was born. “Whenever they did the echocardiogram—the ultrasound of his heart—he had three congenital heart defects.” Daniel was diagnosed with Coarctation of the aorta., ventricular septal defect (VSD), and Cortriatriatum. “Daniel had his first heart surgery when he was just five days old,” Lindsay said
The coarctation had to be repaired before he could even leave the hospital. “He was in the hospital for three weeks,” she said. “Then we went home, and then at four and a half months old he had the second surgery, which was an open-heart surgery to correct the other two defects.”
Daniel after surgery (Provided)
Coming to terms with the diagnosis wasn’t easy. “That was very hard for us to come to terms with,” Lindsay said
Finding Support—and Giving Back
Today, Daniel loves being outside and running around like any other little boy. Lindsay credits not only the surgeons and cardiologists who cared for him, but also the network of parents who helped her family navigate life after surgery
“We’ve done everything through MUSC,” she said. “There is a Facebook group just for MUSC heart parents. There are other Facebook groups, too, and it’s helpful for parents to be able to talk about what’s going on with their kids and to get resources.” She says other parents introduced her to therapy programs she never knew existed. “A lot of things that we didn’t know, I found out through other parents,” she explained. “There are different resources available that help with physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. You just have to apply and get your child to qualify.”
Daniel and his mom at the playground (WCIV)
Daniel participated in all three therapies. “We did that with Daniel, and he had all of those services pretty much from six months old to three years old.” Those services made an enormous difference. “I really think he wouldn’t be where he is today without those things,” Lindsay said. “It’s not just the heart. Being in the hospital and the surgeries kind of put them behind with things like not learning to sit up as soon as they would without the heart issues. Having those extra things really helped.”
Today, she wants other families to know they’re not alone. “Congenital heart defects are incredibly common, varying in severity,” Lindsay said. “Just knowing that there are re group of pediatric cardiologists as well as pediatric heart surgeons.”
Fashion With a Purpose
Lindsay first became involved with Charleston Swim & Resort Week after seeing a call for vendors. “Originally I had seen the ad pop up that they needed vendors,” she said. For her, the decision was personal. “That’s why I wanted to participate, because pediatric heart health is near and dear to my heart because of Daniel.”
Heart Hero Daniel on ABC News 4
Her business, S.A.L.T. Handcrafted, short for ” that will be featured during the benefit event. “It means a lot that there is an organization in Charleston that’s doing such a great event to help raise money and awareness for pediatric heart health,” she said
The Gilded Palm will bring together local designers, models, businesses, artists, and families to support pediatric heart health initiatives across the Lowcountry. While attendees will see beautiful resort fashion and swimwear, they’ll also witness something far more meaningful: children who have survived extraordinary odds walking confidently down the runway, every step tells a story
For Ylvie, it’s the story of surviving three heart surgeries, renal failure, a massive stroke, and years of therapy. For Daniel, it’s the story of open-heart surgery before he was even six months old and the community that helped his family through recovery. For their parents, it’s proof that hope exists, even during the hardest days
“I want to give other parents hope,” Imee said. Lindsay shares that same mission. “Just knowing that congenital heart defects are incredibly common… and knowing that there are re
Every Heartbeat Matters
The Gilded Palm reminds the community that fashion can be a platform for something much bigger than style. It can celebrate courage. It can raise awareness. It can support families navigating unimaginable challenges. And it can honor children like Ylvie and Daniel, two Heart Heroes whose journeys remind us that every heartbeat is worth celebrating.As the lights come up and the models take the runway, the audience won’t simply be watching a fashion show. They’ll be witnessing resilience in motion.
News 4’s Emily Deanne will be walking the Runway for a cause. Join her at the Waverly July 30th for The Gilded Palm, part of Charleston Swim & Resort Week. (WCIV)
News 4’s Emily Deanne will be walking for the cause. The Gilded Palm, part of Charleston Swim and Resort Week will take place on Thursday, July 30th at 6 p.m. at The Waverly. Tickets can be found here
