A Metairie man is now the first person in Louisiana to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy. Daniel Cressy, 23, underwent the therapy at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana, and after two years of treatment, the disease is no longer active in his system.
A New Lease on Life
Surrounded by his loved ones, local and state leaders, Daniel rang the bell to mark the life-changing moment. He is now pursuing his dream of becoming a commercial pilot, something he was not able to do before due to his sickle cell disease.
Daniel’s story brings hope to others suffering from the disease. He said, ‘All the support from the state and supporting governing bodies, I think everyone can soon obtain this treatment … keep going, there is hope for a cure.’
Manning Family Children’s is one of a select few programs nationally to now offer both FDA-approved gene-altering technologies. The CDC says sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disorder in the world, and Louisiana has more cases per capita than any other state in the U.S.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
