Interview by Paul Salfen
AUDREY’S CHILDREN tells the untold true story of visionary British physician Dr. Audrey Evans, who burst onto the scene in 1969 as the first female Chief of Oncology at the world-renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Battling sexism, medical conventions, and the subterfuge of her peers, Evans developed the first Neuroblastoma Staging System, co-founded the first Ronald McDonald House for families of patients, and, ultimately, impacted the lives of millions of children and families around the world.
About Audrey (From Press Notes)
An astonishingly determined woman refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer, and her tenacity changes the world. It’s the late 60s and a woman can’t get a credit card in her name without a male co-signer. Yet, British spit-fire and fish out of water, Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer) starts her new job as a department head at one of the top children’s hospitals in the world.
She finds the treatments outdated, the red tape rampant, and the sexism subtle, but thwarting. And yet, as the first female chief of pediatric oncology at CHOP, she is a true iconoclast. Guided by purpose, she becomes a world renowned research pioneer and creates the first ever staging system for Neuroblastoma, the deadliest solid tumor in pediatrics. The Evans Staging System is still the critical foundation for other staging systems, cancer research and trial studies.
In addition to being an extraordinary Fulbright Scholar and racking up countless awards during her six decades in medicine, Dr. Evans also co-founded the global organization, the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). For many children with cancer, Dr. Evans is the reason they survived. And for families experiencing the unimaginable, Dr. Evan’s vision paved the way for RMHC to help tens of millions of families around the world since 1974. The impact she’s had on the women’s movement and in the world of medicine is unparalleled. Dr. Evans is the first woman of oncology and perhaps the Nation’s most significant female physician.
To put it simply, Audrey Evans was an enigma, relating to children often better than adults, and unrelentingly determined to serve the greater good.
Audrey passed away at the age of 97, two weeks into the film’s production, having supported it for many years prior. Along with the filmmaking team, Dr. Evans shared a belief and hope that her journey might inspire others to find and fight for their purpose, no matter how big or small.
One person can change the world – And Dr. Audrey Evans is proof of that. In today’s tumultuous times, Dr. Evans might just be the hero we need.
