When The Inn of Tomorrow opens in 2027, an important new addition will improve access and connection for families participating in groundbreaking medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH): the Danaher Bridge.

In the years to come, as thousands of families stay at The Children’s Inn, the Danaher Bridge will be their pathway to advance treatments and discoveries.

Through a generous grant from the Danaher Foundation, the Danaher Bridge will connect The Inn of Tomorrow from the second floor to the sidewalk on Center Street in front of the NIH Clinical Center. The new 1,000-foot-long bridge will allow families staying at The Inn to avoid the busy parking lot and steep hill that make the short walk to the Clinical Center an arduous one. The bridge is designed to accommodate young patients who rely on wheelchairs, walkers, medical wagons and other mobility devices. The Bridge will feature side glass panels, etched with a bird-friendly butterfly pattern, and will be lit at night and visible from the Clinical Center.

It is not surprising that Danaher is providing an essential bridge to The Children’s Inn. The global life sciences and technology company, based in Washington, D.C., collaborated with researchers and clinicians across the country to manufacture the first-of-its-kind personalized gene-editing therapy in 2025. The custom-designed therapy was used to treat KJ, a six-month old baby born with a potentially fatal metabolic disorder. The landmark achievement represents the first time scientists have rapidly created a personalized gene-editing treatment for a single patient with an ultra-rare genetic condition.

“Danaher is focused on solving the hardest problems together,” said Jennifer Cody, Danaher’s Senior Manager, Global Community Impact. “A hard problem is a family that needs to come to the NIH in Bethesda for six months because their child is ill with a rare disease. We can have all the innovative treatments in the world, but providing access to them is crucial. The Children’s Inn enables access to life-saving treatments at NIH and is solving a critical problem for many families.”

“Danaher is a valued partner of The Inn and we have a shared mission of building bridges to better health,” said Jennie Lucca, The Inn’s CEO. “This bridge has been a focal point of The Inn of Tomorrow since the earliest planning stages, and we are most grateful to the Danaher Foundation for ensuring that it will soon be a reality.”

The Inn of Tomorrow is aimed at increasing equitable access to NIH pediatric research studies and clinical trials. The Inn strives to remove barriers to cutting-edge treatments for young people and ensure families find a “Place Like Home” on the NIH campus.

In addition to the Danaher Bridge, The Inn of Tomorrow will incorporate improved accessibility features throughout a new residential wing. The project will provide eight apartment-style suites and two rooms offering medical isolation precautions, as well as extensive renovations to the original building, including a total of 71 fully redesigned guest rooms. The Inn of Tomorrow will offer a state-of-the-art living environment for all young patients regardless of the criticality of their condition. When completed in 2027, The Inn of Tomorrow will welcome up to 3,000 families annually, increasing capacity by 25 percent.