The family of Romeo Mickey Noriega is deeply saddened to announce the passing of a beloved baby boy.

Romeo was born at Sharp Mary Birch on December 23, 2025. He was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which he had been diagnosed with in utero, about 20 weeks into his mother's pregnancy journey.

Shortly after birth, Romeo was transferred into the care of Rady Children's Hospital for his first of many stays in their cardiothoracic intensive care unit.

Romeo underwent his first, of what was supposed to be three major surgeries, on January 6, 2026. After being cared for by his surgical team for several hours, the surgery was deemed a success and Romeo was re-admitted back to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit for a hefty recovery phase. Romeo stayed in the care of Rady Children's Hospital for over a month after his surgery so that his body could properly recover.

Romeo was brought home by his parents for the first time on February 4, 2026. Although Romeo had valiantly recovered from his first surgery, his time at home did not go without struggle. Romeo was to be given multiple medications throughout the day through a nasogastric tube that entered through his nostril. He also remained on a constant flow of oxygen at all times of the day.

Romeo stayed home for a long period of time. He was brought back to Rady Children's weekly for check-ups with all of his specialists. He even welcomed nurse visits at home every week.

Unfortunately, as Romeo was growing and gaining strength to tackle his next surgery, other problems began to arise. Specialists at Rady Children's noticed traits of pulmonary stenosis in Romeo's pulmonary veins. This conflicted with Romeo's qualification for his next surgery and made it more difficult for him to breathe without supplemental oxygen.

Romeo was readmitted to Rady Children's several times after this diagnosis for further procedures to combat this growing threat to his future.

Romeo's last cardiac catheterization procedure occurred on July 22, 2026. While the procedure was not a definitive success, it was a difficult recovery process for Romeo. There were multiple concerning moments in the days that followed.

Romeo's little heart finally gave out on the very early Sunday morning of July 26, 2026.

While Romeo did face hardship in his short life, there was so much happiness that he received and gave to others.

He possessed the most beautiful smiles that produced the most beautiful laughter. The sound of constant grunts and heavy breathing filled his home as he began to learn to roll from his back to his stomach. He exhibited so much laughter and joy. But he was also fierce and ambitious. Romeo felt no limitations as he grew. The oxygen tubing and feeding tube that surrounded him were irrelevant to his physical endeavours. He taught his family so much about resilience and battling against challenging odds.

Given nicknames such as “Pumpkin”, “Little Muffin”, “Little Menace”, and “Gummy Bear”, he was so loved by his family. There wasn't a day that passed by without his family attempting to make him laugh with humorous noises or silly actions.

Armed with his iconic mohawk and his devilishly handsome smile, there was not a soul that could go uncharmed after meeting him. He met so many friends across his life and received so much love from everyone that he met.

His family finds comfort knowing that he will no longer face struggle or suffering. He is in the hands of the God who gave him life. He will one day be reunited with his family when the time is right.

Romeo is survived by his loving parents, his loving grandparents, and both sets of his great-grandparents.

We love you so much Romeo. You taught us so much about life and have given us so much to look forward to in Heaven.

Until we meet again, our beloved baby boy.