Young Cancer Patient Caught in NYC Nurses' Strike

9-year-old Logan Coyle and his family worry as strike at NewYork-Presbyterian drags on nearly a month

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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When thousands of New York City nurses walked off the job last month, 9-year-old Logan Coyle, a patient in the cancer unit at NewYork-Presbyterian's children's hospital, was caught in the middle. Logan, who is recovering from advanced liver cancer, has noticed the difference between his regular nurses and the temporary replacements, with routine procedures taking longer and the steady presence of familiar faces gone. His parents say the strike has been a severe impact, with Logan's mom spending more sleepless nights at his bedside due to inconsistent staffing. The strike, which involves over 4,000 nurses in the NewYork-Presbyterian system, is the last one ongoing as the union negotiates with the hospital over salaries, staffing, and other issues.

Why it matters

The ongoing nurses' strike at some of New York City's most prestigious hospitals is disrupting care for vulnerable patients like Logan, who is battling advanced cancer. The strike highlights the tensions between hospital administrators and nurses over pay, staffing levels, and working conditions, with the patients caught in the middle.

The details

Logan Coyle, a 9-year-old patient in the cancer unit at NewYork-Presbyterian's children's hospital, is recovering from his latest setback in a two-year battle with advanced liver cancer. When the nurses walked off the job last month, Logan held up a sign saying 'Proud of My Primaries' to show his support. Nearly a month into the strike, over 4,000 nurses in the NewYork-Presbyterian system remain on the picket line, in a dispute over salaries, staffing, safety, health care and other contractual issues. Logan's parents say the strike has severely impacted their son's care, with routine procedures taking longer and the absence of familiar nursing faces. Logan's mom says she has spent more sleepless nights at his bedside due to inconsistent staffing from temporary nurses.

  • The nurses' strike began in mid-January 2026.
  • The strike at NewYork-Presbyterian has lasted nearly a month as of early February 2026.

The players

Logan Coyle

A 9-year-old patient in the cancer unit at NewYork-Presbyterian's children's hospital, who is recovering from advanced liver cancer.

Jeff Coyle

Logan's father, who says the strike has been a severe impact on his family.

Rebecca Coyle

Logan's mother, who has spent more sleepless nights at Logan's bedside due to inconsistent staffing from temporary nurses.

Morgan Bieler

One of Logan's longtime, primary nurses, who says caring for Logan changed her outlook on life.

NewYork-Presbyterian

The hospital system where Logan is a patient, and where over 4,000 nurses remain on strike.

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What they’re saying

“In that moment, it kind of reinforced like, 'This is why we're doing this'. If he can fight for as long as he has and as hard as he has, then we could fight this.”

— Morgan Bieler, Longtime, primary nurse (wbal.com)

“Every single day that this drags on is a severe impact to us. We are the collateral damage of this strike.”

— Jeff Coyle, Logan's father (wbal.com)

“I wouldn't want to be back there for another month without them. I would feel more safer if they were all back.”

— Logan Coyle (wbal.com)

“I was just constantly up, checking to make sure that something was running appropriately or waiting for a medicine to arrive or waiting fluids to arrive or a blood product. I felt like I had to be so vigilant.”

— Rebecca Coyle, Logan's mother (wbal.com)

“He's always the best version of himself, and he faces everything with a smile. I don't think I would be the nurse, let alone the person I am today, without him and his family.”

— Morgan Bieler, Longtime, primary nurse (wbal.com)

What’s next

The nurses' union is expected to hold membership votes this week on tentative deals reached with two other major hospital systems, Mount Sinai and Montefiore. If approved, those nurses would return to work by Saturday. However, negotiations at NewYork-Presbyterian have progressed slower, and there were no plans for negotiations to resume as of Tuesday.

The takeaway

The ongoing nurses' strike at NewYork-Presbyterian has had a severe impact on vulnerable patients like Logan, who is battling advanced cancer. The strike highlights the tensions between hospital administrators and nurses, with patients caught in the middle. It underscores the need for both sides to work quickly to reach a resolution and restore consistent, high-quality care for all patients.