The cover of the October issue of Academic Medicine featured artwork by Ryan McAdams, MD, professor and chief, Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery, and member, Division of Global Pediatrics. McAdams said the piece, titled Seeking Asylum, is a reflection on how stateless children face a constant fear of family separation as they seek a safe place to call home.
In McAdams’ artist statement, he described the encounter that inspired the painting. “For millions of children worldwide, immigration issues dictate their lives. Many refugee children seeking asylum lack any legal identity; they are stateless citizens of nowhere–ghost children. Without any legal identity, they risk a lifetime of detention, exploitation, and persecution,” McAdams wrote.