In 1969, Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer) becomes the first woman to be Chief of Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. An expert in treating children’s cancer, she is especially interested in neuroblastoma, a pediatric nerve cancer from which very few children survive. Determined to change the prognosis for her young patients, she proposes a research project to the hospital board to develop a new system for treating pediatric cancer. She is told that funds will not be available to her for at least a year.
The problem is not just timing of a grant. Audrey also faces opposition from her colleagues, who resent this English woman’s direct style and her tendency to go against the ways things are usually done in the hospital. But she does find some allies (including Jimmi Simpson) and they develop the first Staging System for Neuroblastoma to determine which children needed aggressive treatment versus less invasive methods.
Her medical accomplishments are just part of what make Audrey’s story so remarkable. She proves to be a true visionary when she realizes that she needs to treat children and also their families. When she learned some patients were being withdrawn from her program because their parents could not afford to stay in Philadelphia, she organized housing for them – the first Ronald McDonald House for families.
Dr. Evans is an example of a doctor who practices holistic medicine, an approach to wellness that treats the whole person — body, mind, spirit, and emotions — rather than just symptoms. She clearly loves her patients and they love her. Her legacy is a model for compassionate care.