New Orleans Man Becomes First in Louisiana Functionally Cured of Sickle Cell Disease Through Gene Therapy

A 23-year-old New Orleans man has become the first person in Louisiana to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy.

Daniel Cressy underwent the treatment at Manning Family Children’s Hospital, where doctors say the disease is no longer active in his system.

Cressy said the blood disorder nearly prevented him from pursuing his dream of becoming a pilot. After a two-year treatment journey, he now hopes to help others facing similar challenges through his nonprofit organization, Privileged Pilots.

Doctors said the therapy uses a patient’s own stem cells that are edited in a laboratory so they no longer produce the defective cells responsible for sickle cell disease.

Approximately 3,000 people in Louisiana are living with the condition.