Daniel Cressy, a 23-year-old from Metairie, Louisiana, became the first person in his state to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease after completing a two-year gene therapy treatment, his medical team at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans announced Monday.
Cressy rang a ceremonial bell at the hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, marking his discharge and declaring him the first person from the U.S. Gulf Coast region to undergo gene editing therapy using Casgevy’s CRISPR/Cas9 technology and be functionally cured of the disorder. Louisiana produces more cases of sickle cell disease per capita than any other U.S. state, according to the hospital.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder predominantly affecting African American people. It can cause chronic pain, frequent hospitalizations, and shortened life spans. Those who inherit the disease face risk of life-threatening complications at the altitudes where pilots fly, which led the Federal Aviation Administration to tell Cressy it would not license him as a pilot, he said in statements released by the hospital.
Cressy said he turned to gene editing therapy, for which Manning Family Children’s Hospital had received approval. The process took two years. In late 2025, doctors collected cells from Cressy’s body and sent them to Scotland for genetic modification, the hospital said in a news release. The hospital received the modified cells back in March. Cressy was then admitted and treated with chemotherapy to eliminate his sickle cells before the genetically modified stem cells were infused into his body.
After spending a month in inpatient recovery and monitoring at the hospital, Cressy rang the ceremonial bell Monday. He was joined by family, friends, his medical team, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
A statement attributed to Manning Family Children’s Hospital CEO Lucio Fragoso said Cressy’s cure provided a substantial reason to “hope” for the community. “Curative gene therapy is restoring futures, and Daniel has paved the way for what is possible together with his care team,” Fragoso’s statement said. “This is a proud and transformational moment for all of us.”
A statement attributed to Cressy said his story embodied “overcoming what seemed impossible” and that he hoped it would be “inspirational for a lot of people.” Cressy has spoken publicly about his plans to become a commercial aviator and said he is working on a book titled Blessing in the Skies and developing a nonprofit charity, the Privileged Pilots Project, which he said aims to expand access to care, aviation, and general opportunity for people facing medical, economic, and social challenges.
Cressy called the path leading up to Monday his “greatest blessing” and referred to what comes next as “life two.” “While many spend their lives searching for purpose, mine found me,” Cressy said. “Now, instead of looking for meaning, I can spend my life fulfilling it.”