Doctor, Family Set Up Charitable Fund to Honor Their Mother

LOS ANGELES (May 8, 2023) — Next Sunday will be the first Mother’s Day that Cedars-Sinai pediatrician Tracy Zaslow faces without her mother, Carol, by her side.

After Carol’s death last year of heart disease, the family started the Carol Zaslow Memorial Fund to support pediatric research at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s.

Why pediatric research? When Carol was born at what was then called Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in 1945, she came into the world as one of the smallest babies ever born. She weighed just 14 ounces—small even for today—and was considered a medical miracle nearly 80 years ago.

At the time, experts estimated she had a one-in-50,000 chance of survival and her birth story was covered in the L.A. Times.

Carol not only survived, but thrived. She married, had two daughters, became a children’s author and volunteered at Cedars-Sinai, where her father was chief of cardiology. Both her daughters, Tracy and Carrie, became physicians.

“She always wanted me to be part of the Cedars-Sinai team,” said Tracy. “I am glad she got to see that dream come true. Cedars-Sinai holds a special place in our hearts for all the care Carol received last year and since her birth.”