Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Celebrates 28th Annual Fetal Surgery Family Reunion at the Philadelphia Zoo

Yearly event reunites patients treated in the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment with their care team and other families

PHILADELPHIA, June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Yesterday, more than 2,700 people gathered at the Philadelphia Zoo to celebrate Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) 28th annual reunion for patients and families treated at the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT). This year the event was newly named the “Lori J. Howell Fetal Family Reunion” in honor of Lori J. Howell, DNP, MS, RN, a beloved colleague, clinical innovator, and former executive director of the CFDT, who passed away earlier this year. The annual event provides an opportunity for those treated in the Center, many of whom underwent fetal surgery before they were even born, to reconnect with their care team and other families who share an indescribable bond.

“Each year, this day serves as both a celebration and a reflection point for how far our Center has come, but never has this event been more significant than this year,” said N. Scott Adzick, MD, Surgeon-In-Chief at CHOP and Director of the CFDT. “It is truly a bittersweet occasion as we remember our beloved colleague, Lori Howell. Lori was a true champion and advocate on behalf of every patient here. We are grateful for all her contributions in making this event all it has grown to be.”

The reunion brings together a unique community of families who have shared similar experiences. Nearly all of the children in attendance were prenatally diagnosed with a birth defect, such as spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or twin-twin transfusion syndrome, that had potentially devastating outcomes. Babies diagnosed before birth either underwent fetal surgery to treat the condition in utero or received highly complex care immediately after birth. The event began in 1997 and has grown from a handful of attendees in its first year to more than 850 families today.

Opened in 1995, the CFDT is the largest and most comprehensive fetal program in the world, treating more than 32,000 expectant mothers and their unborn babies from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. To date, the CFDT team has performed more than 2,400 fetal surgeries and helped make fetal surgery a widespread and life-changing option for babies and families.

CHOP’s CFDT is a pioneer in the field of fetal medicine largely due to Lori Howell’s contributions. For the 27 years she spent at CHOP, Lori was committed to ensuring the highest standard of care for families facing birth defects. She catapulted the fetal therapy program into the largest and most comprehensive program in the world. Lori helped recruit and build the stellar multidisciplinary team that is in place today, established innovative and personalized patient care approaches, developed important patient education, and championed both innovative research approaches and the importance of long-term follow-up, all of which are now the gold standard in fetal medicine and have been modeled by colleagues around the world. Lori’s legacy will forever be woven into the fabric that is the CFDT.

Patients and families experience the highest level of care for complex fetal surgeries at CHOP. Our surgical teams specialize in advanced procedures to treat a variety of birth defects, ensuring the best possible outcomes for both mother and baby, providing expert care from prenatal diagnosis to delivery in our Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, and beyond.

Contact: Kaila Revello
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
610.457.5916
contikm@chop.edu 

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SOURCE Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia