A promising Cornell University-led project aimed at saving infants born with life-threatening heart defects has abruptly lost crucial funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)—just days after receiving approval.

On March 30, the DoD awarded $6.7 million for the continued development and testing of PediaFlow, a miniature heart-assist device designed to support infants awaiting heart surgery or transplant. But within days, a stop-work order was issued, halting progress on the potentially life-saving innovation. According to an NBC News report, the order was issued “at the direction of the Administration,” though neither the Defense Department nor the White House has provided a public explanation.

Dr. James Antaki, the biomedical engineering professor leading the PediaFlow initiative, expressed dismay over the sudden reversal. “I feel that it’s my calling in life to complete this project,” he told NBC News. “Once a week, I go through this mental process of, ‘Is it time to give up?’ But it is not my prerogative to give up.”

Antaki has been working on the technology since 2003, initially focusing on a similar device for adults. After joining Cornell University in 2018, he secured fresh federal support to adapt the concept for pediatric use.

PediaFlow, roughly the size of a AA battery, is designed to enhance blood circulation using a tiny rotating propeller, giving critically ill babies a fighting chance—either during complex surgeries or while waiting for a heart transplant. The withdrawn funding would have supported animal trials and FDA documentation, both essential steps before the device can be tested in human infants.

The project has previously received grants from both the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense without issue. The sudden halt in support comes as a blow not only to the research team but also to families of children with congenital heart conditions.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 100 babies in the U.S. is born with a heart defect, and around 25 percent of them require surgery within the first year of life.

As the future of PediaFlow hangs in limbo, Antaki and his team remain committed to the mission. “This work is about giving children a chance to live,” he said, holding onto hope that alternate funding sources or a policy reversal could still keep the project alive.