Is Audrey's Children based on a true story? Explained
Audrey's Children is based on the true story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who made her mark in the world of medicine as the first female Chief of Oncology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024 and hit cinemas on March 28, 2025.
The film was distributed in the US by Blue Harbor Entertainment and directed by Ami Canaan Mann, known for her 2011 film Texas Killing Fields and 2014's Jackie & Ryan. She also joined the team of writers for episodes of Nancy Drew, House of Cards, and The Blacklist.
Audrey's Children is written and produced by Dr. Evans's close associate from Philadelphia, Julia Fisher Farbman.
Dr. Evans is portrayed by Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer in this epic biographical drama. While Natalie had the chance to meet the woman whose life she portrays over the film's seven years in production, Dr. Evans passed away before the film's premiere.
Since its release, it has gathered positive reviews from viewers and critics, earning it a 7.3 on IMDb and 86% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The true story behind Audrey's Children
Dr. Audrey Evans was born in York, England, in 1925. She had to take a break in her studies in Bristol due to the start of World War 2, and later due to tuberculosis. The Ronald McDonald House of Charities Central Indiana reports that Audrey was the only female student in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in the early 1950s. However, instead of being intimidated, she found it to be amusing and was "having fun.".
Following her graduation in 1953, she briefly trained under Dr. Sidney Farber - known as the father of modern chemotherapy - at Boston Children's Hospital, before moving to the famed Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to complete her training.
Dr. Evans was recruited to join the pediatric oncology department at the world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in 1964 by C. Everett Koop, who later went on to become the US Surgeon General.
In 1969, when there were only a few female surgeons and doctors, Dr. Evans revolutionized cancer care, developing a staging system for Neuroblastoma - a form of pediatric cancer. Dr. Evans broke stereotypes as she battled sexism in the community to rise as a prominent figure in the world of medicine.
She developed the Evans staging system to understand the progression of neuroblastoma in children.
Due to her groundbreaking research, the CHOP found itself flooded by families of children with this terrifying disease. Dr. Evans then co-founded the Ronald McDonald House, a charity-run home for families of children being treated for neuroblastoma at CHOP. This brought assurance and comfort to these families, as they could stay close to their children through the process of their treatment. Currently, the Ronald McDonald House has over 600 accommodations in more than 60 countries.
Dr. Evans stayed on at CHOP for the rest of her medical career. In 2009, following her retirement, she began plans to open the St. James School, as she missed working closely with children. The school was opened in September of 2011 in Philadelphia, aiming to provide underprivileged kids with an extended school year, tuition-free.
After completely transforming the world of pediatric oncology with her contributions to medicine, Dr. Evans passed away in September of 2022, at the age of 97. The inspiring story of her life's work has been documented in Audrey's Children, now screening in cinemas across the US.
