Hospital staff cheer as 12-year-old Kendric Cromer (center) is discharged from the Children’s National Hospital in Washington last Wednesday|childrensnational|Instagram
A 12-year-old boy from Washington, Kendric Cromer, became the first commercial patient to complete a newly approved Bluebird Bio’s sickle cell gene therapy treatment and left the Children’s National Hospital last week after 44 days.
He is hopeful that the therapy will free him from the pain and limitations of sickle cell.
The disease causes crescent-shaped red blood cells that block blood vessels, leading to intense pain and organ damage, often needing hospitalization.
The treatment is expensive, costing $3.1 million, and is not easy. Kendric underwent intense chemotherapy and other challenges, along with painful side effects. He is recovering and still needs regular treatments for excess iron in his blood and will require re-immunization vaccines due to a weakened immune system.