Healing Children: A Surgeon's Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine

A groundbreaking medical memoir by one of our nation’s leading pediatric surgeons—the visionary head of Children’s National.

“If you did nothing but read the astounding, miraculous and occasionally crushing stories that Dr. Newman so vividly relates about daily life in a pediatric hospital you would be enthralled by Healing Children. But there is a bigger truth to this book, a more compelling reason to read it. And that is to be brought fact to face with the many ways that we don’t prioritize children’s health. . . An amazing look at the tenacity and courage of kids and doctors under difficult circumstances.” – Madeline Levine, author of The Price of Privilege

Anyone who has seen a child recover from a wound or a broken bone knows that kids are made to heal. Their bodies are more resilient, more adaptive, and far more able to withstand acute stress than adults’. In this inspiring memoir, Dr. Kurt Newman draws from his long experience as a pediatric surgeon working at one of our nation’s top children’s hospitals to make the case that children are more than miniature adults. Through the story of his own career and of the brave kids he has treated over the years—and their equally brave and tenacious parents—he reveals the revolution that is taking place in pediatric medicine.

When he decided to become a pediatric surgeon, the field was in its infancy, struggling for esteem. Now, nearly forty years later, it is at the forefront of exhilarating new discoveries in everything from cancer research to mental health care. But few parents know how to access the best care for their children. Far too many find themselves frustrated and afraid.

Dr. Newman wrote this book to help guide parents—not just of sick kids but of all kids —and to share his knowledge of what children need to thrive. A deeply human story with a spectacular cast of young heroes and heroines, Healing Children will convince you that we still have a lot to learn from our kids.