BREAKING THROUGH with Madeline Bell

From the time Elijah was a baby, he had many painful symptoms – and no one could determine what was wrong. But when Elijah was a toddler, his family finally found answers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In this episode of The Breakthrough Chronicles, 12-year-old Elijah and his parents talk to Madeline about how teams at CHOP transformed his health – and his life.

Tenlee was born with a rare heart condition and had a heart transplant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia when she was just 5 months old. And though she’s doing well today, her journey has been very challenging. In this episode of The Breakthrough Chronicles, Tenlee’s parents, Jami and Nick, speak with Madeline about the challenges Tenlee has overcome – and how their family’s experience at CHOP changed their lives.

While growing up in West Philadelphia, Kareem saw firsthand the devastating impact trauma and violence can have on children. In this episode of The Breakthrough Chronicles, he and Madeline discuss the sport that changed his life – and the role that hospitals like Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have to play in helping children cope with trauma.

Hematologist and oncologist Denise Adams, MD, specializes in treating vascular anomalies, which occur when arteries, capillaries, veins or lymphatic vessels fail to develop correctly. She joins Madeline to discuss what the future holds for her field – and the surprising advice that inspired her to move forward in her career.  

Our mitochondria make the energy that keeps us alive. Geneticist Marni Falk, MD, joins Madeline to discuss what happens when our mitochondria don’t work properly, the breakthroughs she and her team are making for patients with mitochondrial disease, and the importance of having a strong vision for your career.

While growing up in Panama, Diva DeLeón-Crutchlow, MD, MSCE, always wanted to understand how things worked. She speaks to Madeline about how her curiosity led her to pursue a career in medicine – and the work she’s doing today to develop new treatments for congenital hyperinsulinism and diabetes.

Pediatric and fetal surgeon Holly Hedrick, MD, has made life-changing breakthroughs for children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and other rare birth defects. She joins Madeline to talk about the advice her mentors shared with her along the way – and the children who continue to inspire her every day.

In 2021, Susan Furth, MD, PhD, was named CHOP’s Chief Scientific Officer, becoming the first woman in CHOP’s 166-year history to hold this prestigious role. She joins Madeline to discuss CHOP’s trailblazing Frontier Programs, the importance of mentorship, and what the future holds for research at CHOP.

The team at CHOP’s Cardiac Center has been making life-changing breakthroughs for children for many years. The center’s co-director, pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Jonathan Chen, joins Madeline to discuss his team’s latest innovations – and to share his vision for the future of pediatric cardiac care.

This fall, CHOP will celebrate an important milestone: the grand opening of its new hospital in King of Prussia, Pa. Dr. Jan Boswinkel, the Chief Operating Officer of the King of Prussia hospital, joins Madeline to talk about what this milestone means for patients, families and the community – and shares what it’s like to build a new hospital from the ground up.

World-renowned hematologist and scientist Dr. Katherine High has spent much of her career focused on achieving a goal few believed was possible: developing gene therapies and getting them to patients. Dr. High joins Madeline to talk about her journey from idea to breakthrough – and what it was like to create Spark Therapeutics, a company based on her innovations.

The idea of repairing birth defects before babies are born seemed like a radical one to many. But Dr. Scott Adzick, Director of CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, was determined to pursue it – and today, he’s considered a pioneer in the field of fetal surgery. He shares insights from his remarkable career with Madeline and reveals some of the incredible breakthroughs that are on the horizon for his team.