A 23-year-old man has become the first person in Louisiana to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy, marking a major step forward for treatment in the United States.
“This entire journey was the hardest thing I’ve been in my life,” said Daniel Cressy, founder of Privileged Pilots. “Someone’s ability to access treatment and potentially cure should not be defined by their zip code. People in Louisiana deserve the same opportunity as people anywhere else in this country.”
Daniel Cressy completed the two-year treatment at Manning Family Children’s Hospital, where doctors used his own stem cells, edited in a laboratory, to stop producing the defective cells that cause sickle cell disease. The condition is no longer active in his system. Around 3,000 people in Louisiana live with the disease, and Cressy now plans to support others through his nonprofit organisation, helping more patients navigate treatment and access life-changing care.
