Alexandria teen goes home after receiving state's first pediatric sickle cell gene therapy

Phillip Mullin left Manning Family Children's Hospital in New Orleans on Friday, ending a period of more than 100 hospital stays for his sickle cell disease. The 15-year-old from Alexandria is the first child in Louisiana to be functionally cured of the condition through gene therapy. He is also the state's first patient to receive Lyfgenia, a specific stem cell treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies sickle cell disease as a disorder that produces abnormal red blood cells. These cells can cause severe pain, infections, and strokes. For Mullin, the condition required frequent medical intervention over the years. His mother, Shataka Figgins, described the emotional weight of those years during a ceremony held for Mullin's discharge.

"I think I'll be unpacking every fear, every negative emotion that I had, every time I thought my baby wasn't going to be here with me," Figgins said. She recalled sleepless nights and moments of doubt about her son's body, noting that she will now focus on the young man who survived the ordeal.

Mullin addressed the audience at the ceremony, telling them that sacrifices are necessary to gain new strength. "You can't gain anything without first giving something in return, although if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle," he said. He dedicated the moment to his sister, Paige, whom he called his superhero. "It doesn't matter how far I walk, Paige is always there, always waiting," he said. Paige, who said she never imagined he would have this opportunity, added, "It just feels great."

Archie Manning, a New Orleans Saints legend and namesake of the hospital, spoke shortly after the ceremony. He said he had never seen anything quite like Mullin's description of his journey. Manning called the teen a "wonderful young man" with a remarkable mind and described the outcome as "a miracle."

Mullin plans to return to school and eventually become a hematologist or oncologist. He wants to treat blood disorders and cancer while relating to patients who understand the physical toll of the disease. "I want to be a doctor that can relate to somebody. relate to a sickle cell patient and actually know what they're going through," he said. He hopes that stem cell gene therapy will become available to as many people with the disease as possible.

For the immediate future, Mullin said his goals are simple. He plans to go home, sleep in his own bed, and build more Legos with his baby sister.