While his family feels fortunate that he was the first to receive a treatment, their difficult experiences hint at what others will be up against.
According to the New York Times, the 12-year-old has been receiving treatment at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., United States, for the past 44 days, but left the facility on Monday.
Cromer left hospital in a wheelchair, wearing a T-shirt and cap printed with designs from anime series “Naruto” and a black face mask.
Staff lined the hallway, cheering and waving noisemakers. He had just become the first patient to receive a gene therapy for sickle cell since it was approved — a therapy that is expected to free him from ravages of the disease.
“I thought I would have sickle cell for the rest of my life,” he said. The disease had deprived him of his childhood, making everyday activities, like playing basketball or riding a bike, impossible because they could bring on searing pain, often resulting in hospitalizations.
But despite the celebratory atmosphere, Kendric and his parents are still shuddering over what they endured during his hospital stay.
