Children’s National in the News: 2025
In 2025, Children’s National Hospital was featured in major national news outlets for pioneering advances in pediatric care, groundbreaking clinical research and powerful human stories of healing and hope. From gene therapy for sickle cell disease and innovative pacemakers for newborns to breakthrough transplants, cancer trials and emerging mental health concerns like AI psychosis, these stories highlight the hospital’s leadership across the full spectrum of pediatric medicine. The following ten highlights showcase the patients, families and experts behind this impact, as reported by outlets including NBC News, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, USA Today, Healio, ABC News and ESPN.
1. Gene therapy treatment gives new hope to sickle cell patients
Children’s National patient Wedam, 19, begins the first steps for intensive gene therapy for sickle cell disease, discussing his skepticism while his mother expresses her joy and gratitude for the treatment. (NBC News)
2. Little pacemakers ‘reliable’ in stabilizing newborns needing pacing
Charles Berul, MD, pediatric electrophysiologist and emeritus chief of Cardiology, discusses his study highlighting the safety and efficacy of an innovative smaller pacemaker designed for newborns with critical congenital heart disease. (Healio)
3. Why this clinical trial is offering some young cancer patients hope
Catherine Bollard, MBChB, MD, senior vice president and chief research officer, and the NexTGen team are poised to recruit patients for a new clinical trial that will take on an old, implacable foe: children’s solid tumors. (The Washington Post)
4. 11-year-old receives living donor heart valve to replace artificial one in breakthrough surgery
Yves d’Udekem, MD, PhD, chief of Cardiac Surgery, talked to Good Morning America about how an 11-year-old’s groundbreaking partial heart transplant will change his life and the lives of other children in need of valve replacements. (Good Morning America)
5. 9-year-old fights brain cancer with magic in her heart
Brian Rood, MD, medical director of the Brain Tumor Institute, talked about how patients like Kasey Zachman are the motivation behind finding a cure for brain cancer. (ABC News)
6. How Little League helps father-son duo recover from kidney transplant
USA Today Sports spoke with Gavin Brown and his parents, as well as Yi Shi, MD, a pediatric nephrologist at Children’s National Hospital, about their kidney transplant journey. (USA Today)
7. Jayden Daniels surprises Children’s National patient
After Jayden Daniels visited Commanders fan Sarah Addison at Children’s National Hospital while she was being treated for myeloid leukemia, they quickly became friends. (ESPN)
8. At D.C. children’s hospital, opera singers offer light, hope and healing
International opera stars performed for children, their families and employees at Children’s National Hospital. (The Washington Post)
9. ‘Gift of life:’ Tiny heart transplant saves life of Maryland baby
A baby boy in Maryland is back home after being given a second chance at life, just before his first birthday. The boy’s mother and his surgeon, Manan Desai, MD, share the remarkable story of a moment that changed all of their lives. (NBC4)
10. AI psychosis: Kids left delusional and paranoid over conversations with chatbots
Ashley Maxie-Moreman, PhD, clinical psychologist, spoke to ABC7 about what AI psychosis is and what parents need to know. (ABC7)
