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Essential Pittsburgh: Healing the Hearts of Pittsburgh Children

UPMC’s Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s top research facilities for pediatric cardiac care. The recent arrival of our guest pediatric cardiologist Dr. Bernhard Kuhn to the hospital is a testament to the facility being able to attract top talent. Dr. Kuhn is leading the charge to find a treatment for heart failure in children, and he joins us today in studio to discuss his progress thus far.

Dr. Kuhn expresses hope in how the recent discovery of proliferation in heart muscle cells could be a leading factor in pediatric cardiac care:

"My vision and hope is that neuregulin one day may become something like insulin for heart failure. Neuregulin is currently in phase two trials in adult patients and we want to understand better how it could potentially work in our pediatric patients." - Dr. Bernhard Kuhn

Also in the program, Circle Camps for Grieving Children gives young girls the opportunity to cope with the loss of a parent within a supportive and understanding environment and Andrew Cohen remembers the 48 hours where JFK first implored us as a nation to change our perceptions of race and nuclear weapons.

Circle Camps for Grieving Children (starts at 10:16)

Sandi Lando Welch remembers her experiences at summer camp as the most important gift her parents gave to her as a child. In the wake of the September 11th tragedy, Welch finally realized the service she would provide young girls at her own summer camp: the opportunity to meet and find support amongst other young women who have lost a parent. Welch joins us in studio to describe what Circle Camps for Grieving Children aims to bring to the life of a young girl who is living through such a momentous loss. 

Two Speeches For Two Important Initiatives (starts at 28:24)

Over a 48 hour span during this week in June of 1963, President Kennedy set the U.S. on important trajectories with regard to the issues of race at home and nuclear non-proliferation abroad. We'll talk about the lasting impact of his words and their relevance to today with Andrew Cohen, author of "Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours That Made History."

More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be found here.

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