Louisiana teen ends sickle cell pain as he becomes state's first gene therapy cure recipient

Sickle cell disease has long been treated with ongoing hospital care, but a new therapeutic approach has altered that trajectory for one Alexandria patient. Phillip Mullin, 15, was discharged from Manning Family Children's Hospital on Friday, becoming the first child in Louisiana to receive a functional cure through gene therapy.

Mullin is also the first individual in the state to receive Lyfgenia, a treatment that modifies a patient's own stem cells to prevent the formation of abnormal red blood cells. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies the condition as a cause of chronic pain, infection, and stroke. For Mullin, the diagnosis resulted in more than 100 hospitalizations over the course of his life.

His mother, Shataka Figgins, described the discharge as a process of releasing long-held anxieties. She stated that she would now unpack every fear and negative emotion she carried from sleepless nights spent worrying about her son's survival. Figgins said she sees the young man who endured the physical toll of the disease.

Mullin addressed the hospital staff and family members at a ceremony held Friday morning. He reflected on the necessity of sacrifice, noting that enduring pain allows for the development of strength. He paid specific tribute to his sister, Paige, whom he called his superhero. Paige described the moment as emotional, stating that she had not anticipated receiving this opportunity for her brother.

Archie Manning, a namesake of the hospital, spoke after the event. He described Mullin as a wonderful young man with a remarkable mind. Manning called the successful outcome a miracle and said he had never witnessed anything similar regarding a patient's description of their journey with the disease.

The teen plans to return to school and pursue a career as a hematologist and oncologist. He expressed a desire to relate to patients who suffer from blood disorders and cancer because of his own experience. Mullin said his immediate plans are to sleep in his own bed and build Legos with his younger sister.