20 Years, 1 Mission: Championing Child Health on Capitol Hill

If you ask Cooper Wendling, he’ll tell you it was the best day of his life.

The 11-year-old is talking about Family Advocacy Day (FAD), the Children’s Hospital Association’s marquee advocacy event held every June in Washington, D.C.

Cooper and his family attended with staff from the University of Iowa Health Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, where he receives treatment for spina bifida and Chiari malformation. During FAD, he sampled popsicles, played games, and danced the night away with new friends from Team IMPACT.

The most important part of Cooper's trip happened on Capitol Hill.

There, he shared details of his medical journey with lawmakers and explained how Medicaid plays a crucial role helping him access the services he needs to thrive. His personal account offered a real-life example of what it’s like to live with a complex medical condition.

Meeting with legislators

Cooper wasn’t alone on Capitol Hill. He was joined by Mia and Amaiyah, Cruz, Amir, Maggie, Dean, Emmanuel, Charlotte, and 52 other young advocates. Collectively, they participated in a record 200 meetings with legislators during #FAD2025.

Christian Jaspersen, 9, was among FAD’s 60 patient advocates this year. He watched from the Senate gallery as Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) outlined Christian’s complex medical condition called gastroschisis, including the challenges that come with insurance and traveling frequently from Oklahoma to Boston Children’s Hospital where Christian receives care.

Christian thought the experience was “cool,” but his willingness to share his story is crucial. It helps legislators put a face to policy decisions that impact kids and families.

“It takes bravery to walk into an office on Capitol Hill and have a very open conversation about your personal health journey with a member of Congress,” said Matthew Cook, CHA’s president and CEO. “I’m awed by the courage shown by these kids and their families. Their first-hand accounts are pivotal to ensuring every child has access to the health care they need.”

Over FAD’s two decades, more than 1,000 child advocates have visited Capitol Hill, meeting with upwards of 2,500 leaders directly responsible for passing laws in our country. These personal narratives put faces to the policies that affect millions of children and help lawmakers understand what’s truly at stake.

“FAD is our most important advocacy event of the year, offering a unique opportunity to highlight the vast range of health care services provided by our nation’s children’s hospitals,” Cook said.

Innovation in action

During this year’s event, CHA hosted a science fair on Capitol Hill. The interactive event showcased research being conducted by children’s hospitals.

The science fair provided a first-hand look at federally funded pediatric research that's being conducted at children’s hospitals. These projects allow clinical research teams to identify the underlying causes of pediatric chronic diseases, determine how best to promote optimal child development, and develop safe treatments for complex pediatric medical conditions that improve long-term health outcomes.

Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s National Hospital, Children’s Nebraska, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Texas Children’s showcased a variety of projects, including:

• Helping adults who live with children quit smoking
• Using 3D cardiac imaging to make heart procedures less invasive
• Identifying FDA-approved non-cancer medications to treat brain tumors in children
• Understanding how chronic inflammation leads to heart disease to improve care for acutely ill pediatric patients
• Gaining a better understanding of which children will have a genetic predisposition to cancer
• Utilizing CAR T cells to address recurrent ependymoma, a type of brain cancer

Made popsicles

People in the Capitol Hill area were treated to a cool treat, courtesy of FAD. The Made Popsicle Truck parked near Capitol Hill office buildings, offering fruit-flavored popsicles in exchange for answering a trivia question about children’s hospitals.

Michelle Riley-Brown, president and CEO of Children’s National and a CHA board member, joined the fun, handing icy treats from the customized van. Student athletes from Team IMPACT manned the trivia wheel and interacted with passersby.

“Sharing popsicles at Family Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill was a reminder of the joy, resilience, and connection that makes our work so powerful,” said Riley-Brown. “I’m incredibly grateful to the Children’s Hospital Association for bringing us together to celebrate the voices of our patients and families. Few fields blend purpose and connection like pediatrics, where advocacy helps build lasting community.”

Looking ahead

FAD is an annual event held in June. Children’s hospitals are encouraged to bring patients to Washington to advocate for stronger pediatric care and ensure a brighter tomorrow for all children.

Registration for the 2026 event opens in February.

FAD 2025 fun facts

• Patient advocates: 60
  
• Children’s hospitals: 61
  
• Youngest patient advocate: 22 months
  
• Oldest patient advocate: 22 years
  
• Number of states represented: 31 plus the District of Columbia