Las Vegas has heart: Welcome sign event highlights health issue

One of Las Vegas’ most famous icons — so famous it has its own bobblehead — is being used to raise awareness about an important health issue.

The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was given a set of red lights Tuesday in honor of National Heart Month.

“I can actually say that I have a nephew that was born with a heart defect,” Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II said in a ceremony to light the sign.

And he is hardly alone. Melissa Cipriano, executive director of the Children’s Heart Foundation of Nevada, said 1 percent of babies are born with some form of congenital heart defect.

“We work really, really hard to bring programs to the forefront for these families to help their health journey with their heart child go a little bit smoother,” Cipriano said. “And just raising that awareness is so important, especially in our community.”

For adults, the Mayo Clinic says several heart-related symptoms could be warning signs for underlying problems, including chest discomfort, shortness of breath and swelling in the legs.

Contact Paul Pearson at ppearson@reviewjournal.com.