Father and Son Bond Strengthened After Complex Heart Surgeries With Same Surgeon

Father and son Leon and Johnny Hamui have long shared a close bond – working side by side in their family business and connecting through a lifelong passion for tennis. But now they share something they never expected: similar scars on their chests from different heart surgeries. Following Leon’s open-heart surgery at age 62 for another health challenge, Johnny found himself in the operating room for a rare and aggressive cancer of the heart at 36.

“Almost exactly one year after my own surgery, my son was having a tumor removed from his heart by the same surgeon,” says Leon Hamui, from Mexico City.

Leon’s health journey began around 20 years ago, when the longtime runner started fainting while training for a marathon. Follow-up testing showed he had an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery – a congenital heart defect in which the artery developed in an abnormal position at birth. At the time, some doctors thought he would immediately need an invasive surgery to correct the defect, and others told him he’d have to stop running. But one physician recommended Leon get a second opinion.

“A cardiologist in Mexico told me to go to Cleveland Clinic. They said it was the best place to get a final assessment,” says Leon.

At Cleveland Clinic, doctors determined his fainting was actually caused by an abnormal heart rhythm originating in a lower chamber of the heart – not by the coronary anomaly itself. This meant instead of having open-heart surgery at that time, he could have a minimally invasive procedure called a cardiac ablation.

“It went from being what seemed like the worst diagnosis to something that could be solved with a less invasive procedure,” says Leon.

From here, he got back to his typical routine and was able to keep running with few limitations. But during a follow-up appointment in 2024, his care team discovered he had an ascending aortic aneurysm or a bulge in the wall of the upper portion of the body’s main artery that can become life-threatening if it tears or ruptures.

Further testing also revealed his anomalous coronary artery was beginning to affect blood flow, and he had a leaking aortic valve. For years, he was able to live with this adult congenital heart disease, but now it needed to be repaired to prevent future issues. He was ultimately referred to cardiothoracic surgeon Eric Roselli, MD, who is Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

“I was able to repair and salvage his native aortic valve. We didn't have to replace it. We repaired and transposed his anomalous coronary artery into a more normal position as well,” says Dr. Roselli.

Since everything went well with the surgery, Leon’s whole family, including Johnny, agreed to run the 2026 Sydney Marathon with him. While the run’s purpose was supposed to celebrate Leon’s recovery, it took on a whole new meaning when Johnny started developing unusual symptoms.

“In October 2025, I had a little bit of heartburn. Then I started feeling dehydrated and ended up fainting,” says Johnny Hamui.

Paramedics did an EKG, but everything appeared normal. Johnny went back to his typical routine. However, the symptoms came back a few weeks later, and a CT scan revealed fluid around his heart. That finding led to additional cardiac testing, including an echocardiogram and MRI, which showed Johnny had cardiac angiosarcoma, a very rare and aggressive cancer in the right atrium of his heart.

“We reached out to Cleveland Clinic, and my first sign of hope was finding out this was another one of the conditions Dr. Roselli specializes in,” says Johnny.

Just like his father, Johnny traveled from Mexico to Cleveland Clinic main campus in Cleveland, Ohio. Due to the complexity of his cancer, Dr. Roselli says it took a multidisciplinary team to address, and Johnny was treated through Cleveland Clinic’s Cardio-Oncology Center.

“For these types of tumors that are in unusual locations, we use imaging to create a 3D-printed model of the heart to help us plan the operation,” says Dr. Roselli, who collaborated with cardiologist Serge Harb, MD, to produce the model of Johnny’s heart.

Using the model, the team was able to safely plan how to remove the tumor and identify which parts of the heart would need to be rebuilt.

“The goal is to achieve what we call an R0 resection, meaning there’s no visible disease remaining,” says Dr. Roselli. “To do that, we sometimes need to remove a significant portion of the heart, and then carefully reconstruct it so it can continue to function effectively.”

After Dr. Roselli and the surgical team successfully removed the tumor during a 10-hour surgery, Johnny spent time in the hospital recovering. He was then referred to Dale Shepard, MD, an oncologist with Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center. Dr. Shepard recommended chemotherapy to help lower the risk of recurrence, which is a concern with aggressive cancers like cardiac angiosarcoma.

“With guidance from Dr. Shepard, I was able to undergo my chemotherapy back home in Mexico and be with my family,” says Johnny, who’s a father to two young children.

Following his surgery and four rounds of chemo, Johnny’s follow-up scans showed no signs of cancer remaining. While he’ll continue to be closely monitored for any signs of cancer recurrence, both Johnny and Leon are thankful for the care they’ve received.

“Cleveland Clinic has been very good to all of us. It’s a special place for our family, and we’re beyond appreciative of Dr. Roselli. When I see the Cleveland Clinic logo, I feel peace,” says Leon.

On a recent visit, the family even presented Dr. Roselli with a T-shirt from their running club, “Corazón de León” (Heart of a Lion), naming him its honorary president.

“From the person who wheeled me back to surgery to Dr. Roselli, everyone was just the best at their job. I am in awe of the entire team. If you’re going to have your life in someone’s hands, I would definitely choose them,” says Johnny.

Now, as Leon trains for what will be his fifth marathon and Johnny prepares for his first, the race in Sydney, Australia, has taken on a deeper meaning for the family – not just as a celebration for Leon’s recovery, but for Johnny’s as well.

“Going through all this has given me the gift of being way more present. Even though I’m still thinking ahead to the things I want to accomplish, every day feels like a second chance,” says Johnny.

Leaning on each other throughout their health journeys has only strengthened Johnny and Leon’s bond. While having to undergo heart surgery is something the two never hoped to share, they’ve come away from the experience with an even deeper appreciation for one another and even go to follow-up appointments together with Dr. Roselli.

“As a father, I really appreciate the bond these two share. The love between them and the way their lives are connected is something special – it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on,” says Dr. Roselli.

“When I had my heart issue diagnosed, we were very scared because my dad passed away young from heart failure. Then Johnny got this serious diagnosis. But seeing how he has come through all of this with such strength has given us hope. He’s the light of our lives,” says Leon.

“My dad taught me how to play tennis, and my diagnosis brought me back to those early days. Through both tennis and treatment, he was my coach – my biggest cheerleader when things were going well and the one who lifted me up when they weren’t,” says Johnny.