‘Miracle’ toddler dances, crawls in Oval Office as Trump praises new gene therapy | Watch video

A two-year-old boy, Travis Smith, stole the show at a White House event as President Trump discussed healthcare advancements.

A two-year-old boy captured hearts inside the Oval Office as US President Donald Trump spoke about a breakthrough in medical treatment. Travis Smith, a toddler who was born deaf, became the highlight of a White House event after he wandered across the Oval Office carpet, dancing, crawling and playfully lying on the floor.

Travis Smith, who was diagnosed with ​the OTOF mutation and received Regeneron's experimental therapy at 18 months ​as part ⁠of a clinical trial, lies on the floor while US President Donald Trump participates in a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office at the White House. (REUTERS)

Dressed in a miniature suit but barefoot, the child broke away from his mother’s arms and began exploring the room, drawing laughter from officials and attendees. At one point, he performed a small dance before crawling and briefly lying face down.

Trump hails ‘incredible’ breakthrough

The event focused on healthcare affordability and medical innovation, during which Trump praised a new treatment that helped restore Travis’s hearing.

“That’s really incredible,” Trump said. “He was 100 percent deaf, but he took this miracle cure, and now he can hear his mum say, ‘I love you.’”

The therapy, developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, is part of a new wave of gene-based treatments aimed at addressing rare genetic conditions.

Travis received the treatment as part of a clinical trial when he was around 18 months old, after being diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation linked to congenital deafness.

His mother, Sierra Smith, described the transformation as life-changing. “He didn’t know his name. He couldn’t hear me tell him how much I loved him,” she said.

Now, she added, he can enjoy everyday sounds, including music. “He can listen to music, and he loves it… he loves to dance and he loves instruments. I’m so proud of him. He’s been so brave through all of this.”

Policy push on drug prices

The White House event also marked a push to reduce prescription drug costs. Trump announced agreements with major pharmaceutical companies under his “Most Favored Nation” initiative, aimed at aligning US drug prices with those in other developed nations.

“With this announcement, 17 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies… have now agreed to sell their drugs to American patients at the lowest prices anywhere in the world,” he said.