WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — A few desperately ill patients have managed to get into clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health's famed hospital, even though the government's partial shutdown has others being turned away, the agency said Wednesday.


Normally, about 200 new patients every week enroll in studies at the NIH's research-only hospital, often referred to as the "house of hope" because so many of those people have failed standard treatments.


The shutdown halted most of those new enrollments, sparking heated political debate about the fate of children with cancer as Congress and the White House grappled with how to get the government back to work.


NIH officials could make exceptions to the no-new-patient policy only for crisis cases, when someone's illness was imminently life-threatening and the study he or she hoped to enter offered some hope for improvement.


From Oct. 1 through Tuesday, 12 patients who met that criteria were enrolled in studies at the NIH Clinical Center, said agency spokeswoman Renate Myles. Most had cancer, but she couldn't say how many were children.


Tania Santillan of Beloit, Wis., is breathing a sigh of relief: Her 5-year-old daughter got one of those coveted spots. She underwent a bone marrow transplant a year ago for a particularly aggressive form of leukemia — but two weeks ago, a check-up showed the cancer had returned.


Even as doctors told the family the best option was an experimental treatment being studied at the NIH, they broke the news that with the shutdown, enrollment wasn't a certainty.


"They were afraid they were turning down kids with cancer," Santillan said, recalling how oncologists began emailing colleagues at NIH as the family looked on, beginning the process to get try to get the child accepted. Finally Santillan got the word: "They said they will accept her, because she needs it."


Mother and daughter travel to NIH next week, and will spend the expected month of treatment at the nonprofit Children's Inn at NIH, open to house families during the shutdown because it is privately funded. The shutdown forced the furlough of 73 percent of the NIH's staff.



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  • Harry Reid


    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. stands on the Senate steps on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, during a news conference on the ongoing budget battle. President Barack Obama was making plans to talk with Republican lawmakers at the White House in the coming days as pressure builds on both sides to resolve their deadlock over the federal debt limit and the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • Jay Carney


    White House press secretary Jay Carney briefs reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013. Carney opened with remarks on Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki's testimony on Capitol Hill regarding veterans benefits and the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)




  • Tom Harkin, Tom Udall, Jack Reed


    From right, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa arrive for a news conference on the ongoing budget battle, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, on the Senate steps on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Barack Obama was making plans to talk with Republican lawmakers at the White House in the coming days as pressure builds on both sides to resolve their deadlock over the federal debt limit and the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • Harry Reid, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Barbara Mikulski, Ben Cardin, Vincent Gray, Richard Durbin


    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., joined by Senate Democrats speaks during a news conference on the Senate steps on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct 9, 2013, to urge House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, and House Republicans to break the impasse on a funding bill and stop the government shutdown that is now in its second week. From left are, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray, Reid, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • Vincent Gray, Eleanor Holmes Norton


    Washington, Mayor Vincent Gray, right, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., left, make their way through the crowd after joining Senate Democrats outside the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, to urge House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, and other House Republicans, to break the impasse on a funding bill and stop the government shutdown that is now in its second week. Gray said in a statement Tuesday that the shutdown, now in its second week, is having dire consequences in his city. He said D.C. is the only city in the country where residents are worried that their local government won't be able to provide basic services during the shutdown. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • Eric Shinseki


    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, before the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the effects the government shutdown is having on benefits and services to veterans. About 3.8 million veterans will not receive disability compensation next month if the partial government shutdown continues into late October, Shinseki told lawmakers Wednesday. Some 315,000 veterans and 202,000 surviving spouses and dependents will see pension payments stopped. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • Jim Sensenbrenner, Lynn A. Westmoreland


    Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., left, and Rep. Lynn A. Westmoreland, R-Ga., right, and other lawmakers, walk to a closed-door Republican strategy session as the partial government shutdown enters its second week with no end in sight, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • Capitol Hill


    The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunrise in Washington, D.C., October 8, 2013, on the eighth day of the government shutdown. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)




  • John Boehner


    U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner speaks at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., October 8, 2013, following a press conference by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House as the crisis over a U.S. government shutdown and debt ceiling standoff deepens on the 8th day of the shutdown. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Barack Obama


    President Barack Obama speaks about the the budget and the partial government shutdown, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in the Brady Press Room of the White House in Washington. The president said he told House Speaker John Boehner he's willing to negotiate with Republicans on their priorities, but not under the threat of "economic chaos." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)




  • Chuck Schumer


    U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) talks to reporters about the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol October 8, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Democrats and Republicans are still at a stalemate on funding for the federal government as the shutdown goes into eighth day. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)




  • Obama Press Conference


    U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., October 8, 2013, as the crisis over a U.S. government shutdown and debt ceiling standoff deepens on the 8th day of the shutdown. (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)




  • CDC


    The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stands behind a street sign marking the agency's entrance, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in Atlanta. The government shutdown has slowed or halted federal efforts to protect Americans' health and safety, from probes into the cause of transportation and workplace accidents to tracking the flu. (AP Photo/David Goldman)




  • Grand Canyon


    Ahmed Alaawaj, of Libya, gets his photo taken by Juan Riaz, of Colombia ,at the Grand Canyon National Park entrance, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in Tusayan, Ariz. The friends traveled from Las Vegas to see the Grand Canyon unknowing it was shut down. The Grand Canyon remains closed to visitors because of the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt York)




  • Grand Canyon


    The Grand Canyon National Park entrance is blocked off, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in Tusayan, Ariz. The Grand Canyon remains closed to visitors because of the partial government shutdown. (AP Photo/Matt York)




  • John Boehner


    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, as the partial government shutdown enters its second week with no end in sight. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • Barack Obama


    President Barack Obama makes a statement about the government shutdown during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2013. The president thanked workers at the FEMA for doing their jobs under "less than optimal circumstances" during the government shutdown. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)




  • Jay Carney


    White House press secretary Jay Carney speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2013. Carney said that the Obama administration plans to release data on health insurance signups through Affordable Care Act exchanges on a monthly basis. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)




  • The New York Stock Exchange


    Specialist Jason Hardzewicz, left, works with traders at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, Oct. 7, 2013. The stock market is opening sharply lower as the U.S. government heads into a second week of a partial shutdown with no signs of a budget agreement in sight. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)




  • Farmers Hit Hard


    A farmer dumps corn in a grain trailer as he harvests a field, Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, near Clear Lake, Iowa. Farmers and livestock producers use the reports put out by the National Agriculture Statistics Service to make decisions — such as how to price crops, which commodities to grow and when to sell them — as well as track cattle auction prices. Not only has the NASS stopped putting out new reports about demand and supply, exports and prices, but all websites with past information have been taken down. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)




  • Furloughed Workers


    Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Catherine Threat greets students as they arrive at Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center in Chicago Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, in Chicago. The Wisconsin veteran hasn’t let the federal shutdown shut her down. Threat returned from active duty in Afghanistan in July. Since then, she’s been in the Army Reserve and working as a civilian at Fort McCoy in central Wisconsin _ until last week when she was furloughed. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)




  • Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)


    In this photo provided by CBS News, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks on CBS's "Face the Nation" in Washington on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. Cornyn said the partial federal government shutdown cannot end without President Barack Obama sitting down with congressional Republicans."What he needs to do is to roll up his sleeves," Cornyn said. "We're not going to resolve this without the president engaging," he said. "So far, he's been AWOL," he added. (AP Photo/CBS News, Chris Usher)




  • Dolly Copp Campground


    A United States Forest Service padlock locks the gate at the Dolly Copp campground picnic area in Gorham, N.H. Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. Some campgrounds in New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest will be forced to close ahead of the lucrative Columbus Day weekend because of the federal government shutdown, according to the U.S. Forest Service. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)




  • Treasury Secretary Jack Lew


    In this Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, photo provided by CBS News U.S. Treasury Jacob Lew speaks on CBS's "Face the Nation" in Washington. Lew said Congress needs to quickly pass legislation re-opening the government and also a measure boosting the nation's $16.7 trillion debt limit. (AP Photo/CBS News, Chris Usher)




  • White Mountain National Forest


    Cars drive into the White Mountain National Forest as autumn leaves begin to change colors in Gorham, N.H. Sunday Oct. 6, 2013. Some privately run campgrounds in New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest will be forced to close ahead of the lucrative Columbus Day weekend because of the federal government shutdown, according to the U.S. Forest Service. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)




  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area Protests


    A boat is towed up the Las Vegas Strip with a sign protesting the closure of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, David Becker)




  • White Mountain National Forest


    Leaves begin to change colors in the White Mountain National Forest in Randolph, N.H. Sunday Oct. 6, 2013. Some privately run campgrounds in New Hampshire’s White Mountains National Forest will be forced to close ahead of the lucrative Columbus Day weekend because of the federal government shutdown, according to the U.S. Forest Service. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)




  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area Protests


    A procession of boats are towed up the Las Vegas Strip protesting the closure of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, David Becker)




  • Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)


    With the government shutdown still unresolved, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., leaves the chamber at the end the day, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is covered in morning sunlight as seen from a helicopter window, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, near Tusayan, Ariz. As the 5-day-old government shutdown continues to keep the country's national parks closed, tourists whose bucket list included vistas from the South Rim of the canyon are turning to aerial tours as an alternative way to view the Grand Canyon. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)




  • Into The Weekend


    Sunrise at the U.S. Capitol as the federal government shut down goes in to its fifth day on October 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)




  • John Boehner


    House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) walks to the House floor on October 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)




  • Nancy Pelosi


    Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC); House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) speak to members of the media during a news conference in the Capitol on October 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)




  • Kevin McCarthy


    House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) speaks to members of the media during a news conference in the Capitol on October 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)




  • Capitol Tourists


    Tourists visit the U.S. Capitol in Washington on October 5, 2013, the fifth day of the government shutdown. The US government shut down for the first time in 17 years on October 1 after lawmakers failed to reach a budget deal by the end of the fiscal year. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Eric Cantor


    House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) speaks to members of the media during a news conference in the Capitol on October 5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)




  • President Obama And Vice President Biden Walk To Lunch As Government Shutdown Continues


    WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 4: U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Vice President Joe Biden look over the menu at Taylor Gourmet on Pennsylvania Avenue after walking from the White House for a take-out lunch October 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. Democrats and Republicans are still at a stalemate on funding for the federal government as the shutdown goes into the fourth day. The deli, like many other eateries in Washington, is currently offering a discount for furloughed federal workers. (Photo by Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images)




  • Government Shutdown Enters Fourth Day With No Resolution


    WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 04: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) speaks at a press conference on the government shutdown October 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. Today marks the fourth day of the government shutdown as Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse over funding the federal government. Also pictured are Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)




  • Shutdown Protester


    A protestor holds a sign against the government shutdown in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on October 5, 2013. The U.S. government shut down for the first time in 17 years on October 1 after lawmakers failed to reach a budget deal by the end of the fiscal year. (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer


    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (L) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) (R) leave a press conference on the government shutdown October 4, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)




  • Senate Democrats


    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (2nd L) speaks at a press conference on the government shutdown October 4, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)




  • Barack Obama


    President Barack Obama speaks about the government shutdown and debt ceiling during a visit to to M. Luis Construction, which specializes in asphalt manufacturing, concrete paving, and roadway reconstruction, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in Rockville, Md. President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are mocking Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind. for saying Republicans should get something from the budget standoff — but he doesn't know what that is. . (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)




  • John Boehner


    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks to the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. President Barack Obama laid the blame for the government's partial shutdown at the feet of Boehner Thursday, escalating a confrontation that is running the risk of a potentially damaging clash over the nation's borrowing authority. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • Nancy Pelosi


    House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. arrives for a news conference about the ongoing budget fight, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, on Hill Capitol Hill in Washington. The government limped into a third day of partial shutdown Thursday with no sign of a way out after a White House conversation between President Barack Obama and top congressional leaders seemed only to harden the stances of Democrats and Republicans. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)




  • John Boehner


    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks to the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, as Congress continues to struggle with the government shutdown. President Barack Obama laid the blame for the government's partial shutdown at the feet of Boehner Thursday, escalating a confrontation that is running the risk of a potentially damaging clash over the nation's borrowing authority. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • Barack Obama


    President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to speak about the government shutdown and debt ceiling during a visit to M. Luis Construction, which specializes in asphalt manufacturing, concrete paving, and roadway reconstruction, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in Rockville, Md. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)




  • Eric Cantor


    House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va. is pursued by reporters after a news conference with the GOP Doctors Caucus to talk about how the government shutdown is impacting on medical research, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)




  • Protesters for federal workers idled by the government shutdown gather outside the San Antonio office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




  • US-POLITICS-ECONOMY-BUDGET


    A protester displays a placard as he joins others in a demonstration in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, October 3, 2013, urging congress to end the federal government shutdown. The political crisis gripping Washington could trigger a 'catastrophic' US debt default, the Treasury warned Thursday, as America limped into day three of a government shutdown. Despite the looming danger to the US and world economies, there was no sign that either President Barack Obama or his Republican foes were ready to give ground. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)




  • US-POLITICS-ECONOMY-BUDGET


    A vendor, who's main business comes from tourists visiting the national mall and museums around it, arranges her food truck in Washington, DC, October 3, 2013, during the third day of the federal government shutdown. US President Barack Obama on October 3, directly attacked Republican Speaker John Boehner, saying he could end a 'reckless' US government shutdown in just five minutes. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Ted Cruz Protesters


    Leonor Ramus holds a sign at the door to the San Antonio office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as she helps protest for federal workers idled by the government shutdown, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)