This Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the life and legacy of one of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s original breakthrough makers: pediatric oncologist Dr. Audrey Evans. In 1969, Dr. Evans became the first woman to serve as Chief of CHOP’s Division of Oncology, and she went on to co-found the first Ronald McDonald House.

AUDREY’S CHILDREN, a film based on Dr. Evans’ life, will be released in theaters across the United States on March 28. In this episode of Breaking Through, Julia Fisher Farbman, the film’s producer and writer, joins Madeline to discuss Dr. Evans’ extraordinary life and career.

Teams at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are committed to delivering breakthroughs for patients, including keeping them safe from injury – the leading cause of death and acquired disability for children. In this episode of Breaking Through, Madeline talks to CHOP expert Dr. Kristy Arbogast about how caregivers can keep kids safe during fall sports season and beyond – and about the work CHOP’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention is leading to find new ways to prevent and treat concussions. They also discuss Dr. Arbogast’s role on the NFL Engineering Committee, which is focused on developing injury prevention programs for elite athletes.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that often causes debilitating pain and life-threatening complications. Many patients with the disease make dozens of ER visits a year, and must receive regular blood transfusions. And though recent breakthroughs in gene therapy are giving patients with sickle cell new hope – and new options – accessing these therapies can be challenging. In this episode of Breaking Through, cell and gene therapy expert Dr. Stephan Grupp and pediatric hematologist Dr. Alexis Thompson join Madeline to talk about how gene therapy for sickle cell disease can transform patients’ lives. They also discuss what teams at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are doing to ensure that these innovative therapies reach the children who need them most.