Abstract

Miracles, like London buses, just seem to come along. The truth is, there are no miracles, just lots of hard work behind the scenes, minds open to opportunity, serendipity and possibly a little luck. In my time as a paediatric respiratory physician, I have born witness to remarkable advances in treatment that have changed patients' fortunes overnight. Examples of these include artificial surfactant replacement for premature newborns, conjugate haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination, propranolol for infants with subglottic haemangiomas, mandibular distraction for babies with micrognathia, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators therapy for patients with cystic fibrosis and antisense oligonucleotide therapy for infants with spinal muscular atrophy. There are lessons to be learned from reflection upon these life transforming treatments, and perhaps it is a good time just to pause and wonder.