A Year of Firsts: BC Children’s Hospital Enables Greatness

Nova © Courtesy of BC Children’s Hospital

A Year of Firsts: BC Children’s Hospital Enables Greatness

It’s been an extraordinary year at BC Children's Hospital—one filled with novel discoveries, innovative practices, and the joy of bringing children back to health.

From revolutionary clinical trials to becoming the first Canadian hospital to implant a new type of pacemaker in a newborn, BC Children's 2023-2024 achievements are paving the way toward its bold vision of a healthier future.

A GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERY: PERSONALIZING CANCER TREATMENT

While pediatric cancer care has come a long way, with 80 per cent of children now surviving the disease, one in five children who relapse faces a tougher battle. In 2023, researchers at the Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program made a breakthrough by becoming the first in Canada to model a child’s unique cancer tumour using chicken eggs. This allowed doctors to test various drugs in real time, tailoring treatments to each child’s specific cancer.

Another milestone was the acquisition of Canada’s most advanced mass spectrometer for protein analysis. This cutting-edge tool gives scientists the opportunity to examine how proteins function in cancer cells, which provides vital insights into developing new, more effective treatments. With these advancements, BC Children’s is offering new hope for children who previously had limited treatment options.

BRINGING CLINICAL TRIALS CLOSER TO HOME

Children are often treated like miniature adults when it comes to healthcare, receiving therapies that were not designed with their needs in mind. Many life-changing treatments are either unavailable or untested for children. This year, BC Children’s Hospital changed that by launching the Clinical Trials Super Hub—a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada in scale and scope. This innovative hub allows experts to deliver existing clinical trials and create new ones, all in-house. This milestone achievement is a huge leap in pediatric healthcare, offering children and families access to safer and more effective treatments that were previously out of reach.

• 1st Canadian hospital to implant a new type of pacemaker in a newborn

• 1st in Canada to test cancer drugs targeted to a child’s unique tumour in chicken egg models

• 1st in the world to discover a new rare disease, gain-of-function mark4, which impacts neurological development

• Launched the clinical trials super hub, 1st in Canada in scale and scope

• 1st in the world to unlock the mysteries of the brain by creating organoids with microglia-like cell

GETTING KIDS HOME SOONER: THE PIVOT PROGRAM

Staying in the hospital for extended periods of time can be tough for children and their families—especially when kids reach the point where they feel well enough to return home. Often, what holds them back and keeps them in care is the need for intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Early last year, BC Children’s addressed this with the launch of the Pediatric IV Outpatient Therapy (PIVOT) program. Thanks to this program, families are now trained to administer IV antibiotics at home, with support from the hospital’s nursing team just a video call away. It’s a simple change with a powerful impact: it reduces the amount of time spent in the hospital and brings lifesaving care to a more comfortable environment—home,

A Worldwide First: Unlocking the Brain’s Secrets

The brain is one of the body’s biggest mysteries, with 90 per cent of what we know about it only being discovered in the last three decades. Last year, BC Children’s Dr. Mahmoud Pouladi made history, becoming the first in the world to create brain organoids with microglia-like cells—immune cells that live in the brain. These tiny, lab-grown brain replicas are helping researchers understand the development of brain disorders and how they respond to treatments. This work is already advancing our understanding of Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability.

Another worldwide first for BC Children’s was the discovery of a new rare disease, Gain-of-Function MARK4, which impacts neurological development. These groundbreaking discoveries are making way for revolutionary research, offering hope to countless children and families.

The Future of Firsts: Big Possibilities in 3D Technology

Over the last year, BC Children’s has been pushing the boundaries in 3D technology. Pediatric experts have long used 3D simulations to plan complex surgeries with incredible precision, but in 2023, the hospital’s Digital Lab made significant advancements. They created 3D models for intricate surgeries involving sarcomas, congenital heart defects, and orthopedic conditions. The hospital also reached a huge milestone in 2023: over 100 complex surgical cases have now been supported through this program, which is helping surgeons plan with better accuracy and giving patients and families a clearer understanding of their conditions.

None of these extraordinary accomplishments would have been possible without the support of over 100,000 generous donors. By choosing to support BC Children’s, you’ve played a vital role in enabling medical and research experts to make bold leaps in pediatric healthcare.

Together, we are changing the future of child health, ensuring that every child has access to the best possible care and the most innovative treatments. With continued support, there’s no telling what firsts BC Children’s Hospital will achieve next year.