Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

03/12/2026

Every Thursday in the Cardiac Care Unit, a developmental play group for patients and their caregivers meets with a new theme. This week: 🦖 Dinosaurs!!!

The CCU Developmental Play Group is a weekly space created to foster positive developmental and social experiences for patients. Whether it’s singing, reading, dancing or playing, every activity intentionally promotes progress in patients’ cognitive communication and fine motor skills, as well as improves bonding between kids and their caregivers. Many participants are long-term patients awaiting next steps after a heart failure diagnosis or a transplant with support from a Ventricular Assisted Device (VAD). The play group gives them a chance to socialize and play on a regular basis during their hospital stay.

This group of focused fun is led by:
🗣️Sarah Hahn, Speech Language Pathologist
🎵Grant Hales, Music Therapist
🧩 Betsy Giovanini, Occupational Therapist
🧸Kelly Zonghetti, Developmental Nurse Specialist

03/12/2026

As the Austin HOPE Center prepares to open its doors this fall, we sat down with Pastor and Stone Community Development Corporation (Stone CDC) CEO Contrell Jenkins to reflect on the journey behind this long-awaited community health hub. Rooted in faith and shaped by community voice, his leadership offers a powerful lens into what it means to build with Austin.

Read the full interview here: https://bit.ly/PastorJenkinsInterview

03/12/2026

On March 19th, enjoy a free cone at participating Dairy Queen locations. Get it dipped, and $1 will be donated to Lurie Children’s through Children's Miracle Network. Every dollar donated supports our patients and helps kids get the care they need to thrive!

Find a location near you: https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/locations/

03/10/2026

Over the past few months, the Lurie Children’s Center for Transport Medicine, together with the KidSTAR Healthcare Education Program and with support from the Pediatric Pandemic Network and the Washington Square Health Foundation, has spent time alongside Chicagoland EMS agencies and fire departments to train and support prehospital teams in pediatric emergency care.

A child’s care begins long before the hospital doors. It starts with the very first clinicians at their side in the field. We are proud to partner with the teams who respond first, and we are committed to helping ensure every child receives exceptional pediatric ready care wherever it is needed.

Pictured here are paramedics from the North Riverside and Franklin Park Fire Departments.

03/09/2026

This is Who… featuring some of our amazing team at Lurie Children’s! 💙

03/09/2026

Please join us at our public meeting on 3/12 to learn more about our new location in Downers Grove. Details above!

03/06/2026

03/05/2026

Join a fascinating conversation at the intersection of music, hearing loss and brain science.

Nancy Young, MD, section head of Otology/Neurotology and medical director of the Audiology & Cochlear Implant Programs at Lurie Children’s, as well as president of the American Otological Society, will co-moderate the upcoming webinar “Music, Hearing Loss and the Brain.”

The discussion will feature:
• Francis Collins, MD, PhD, former director of the NIH, speaking on the importance of music and the mind
• Huey Lewis, sharing his experience living with hearing loss
• Charles Limb, MD, neurotologist and scientist at UCSF Health, studying the neuroscience of music

📅 Wednesday, March 18, at 8 p.m. CT
📍Streaming on YouTube via the American Otological Society

Find more and tune in at the link below.

Music is one of the most naturally robust stimulants for the brain! Please join us for an exciting upcoming webinar featuring the esteemed Dr Francis Collins...

03/05/2026

In 2020, Sarah and Kevin's son Milo was born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). He spent 18 days fighting with incredible strength at Lurie Children’s, redefining what courage looks like.

In his memory, the family established the For Milo Memorial Fund to help families facing the unimaginable by covering funeral and end-of-life expenses.

“No family should be faced with a financial challenge while grieving the loss of a child.”

To read Milo’s full story, click the link below.
🔗 https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/for-milo-foundation/

Learn more and support the Milo Foundation, visit formilofoundation.org 💙

03/04/2026

When Owen was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome at 13 months old, his parents immediately looked for treatments. At the time, none of them addressed the root cause of the challenging condition — genetics.

Nearly a decade later, that changed. Owen enrolled in the first-ever genetic treatment for Dravet syndrome in a trial co-led by Dr. Linda Laux, Head of the Epilepsy Center and Associate Division Head of Neurology at Lurie Children’s. In more than 85% of cases, Dravet syndrome is caused by a non‑inherited SCN1A gene mutation. People with Dravet syndrome have one normal SCN1A gene and one mutated SCN1A gene. The trial uses a new medication, zorevunersen, to act on the normal gene so it works harder and overcomes the deficit.

Results, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, include significant seizure reduction and improvement in other symptoms such as language, motor and developmental issues. Patients in the open-label extension studies, like Owen, experienced seizure reduction ranging from 58% to 90%.

Over the course of the trial, Owen experienced a significant decrease in seizure activity. His expressive and responsive language also improved — and for the first time since kindergarten, he is back to school in person.

“He is able to make friends, which is kind of a new development,” said his mother, Austin. “His quality of life has increased substantially so that he's able to enjoy more activities with neurotypical peers.”

During his follow-up appointment, Owen cheerfully listed the names of those new friends. This year, he even joined them on the basketball team. These milestones represent life moments that his parents, Austin and Stewart, once thought might never be possible for their son.

“To be able to see the light return to his eyes, to see him becoming more and more himself … it has made all of it worth it,” Austin said.

Read Owen’s story and learn more about the newly published trial: https://bit.ly/3MMhyBk

03/04/2026

🎈March 4 is Chicago’s official birthday, and we couldn’t be prouder to share this incredible city with so many world-class organizations that not only enrich, educate and entertain, but show up for its kids.

From nonprofit neighbors like Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum to hometown teams like the Bears and Blackhawks, Chicago institutions leave their handprints at Lurie Children's year after year – bringing joy, excitement and awe to our patients.

And we’re proud to leave ours across the city, too: serving as a destination for exceptional pediatric care for more than 140 years, making that care more accessible with our Mobile Health Unit, hosting mission-driven events at iconic Chicago venues, and partnering with community leaders to help kids in every zip code thrive.

Happy Birthday, Chicago! There’s no place like home.
🩵❤️🤍

03/03/2026

When Marty started kindergarten at a new school, he and his mom created a presentation to help his classmates understand the hearing devices he proudly wears. Marty has been wearing hearing aids since he was two years old, and at age four and a half, he underwent surgery at Lurie Children’s to receive a cochlear implant.

Since then, he’s been able to hear sounds he once couldn’t — his teacher’s voice at the front of the classroom, birds outside, even the wind — and he’s discovered a new love for listening to music. Sharing his presentation gave Marty the chance to answer his classmates’ questions and tell them something special about himself.

In celebration of World Hearing Day 2026 and its theme, “From communities to classrooms,” Marty and his mom widened their audience even more by sharing the presentation with the Lurie Children’s team in a video!

Today, they went on FOX 32 to share Marty's journey and advocate for early screening. Learn how Marty is “the boss” of his hearing loss: https://bit.ly/4b3WcHJ