A Long Island man is the first in New York history to be cured of sickle cell anemia, according to doctors at Northwell Health's Cohen Children's Medical Center.
Sebastien Beauzile, 21, has suffered for over 20 years with chronic pain from the disease, which causes abnormalities in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blood cells, causing blockages that prevent them from passing through capillaries.
All major bodily organs are affected by the disease, which most commonly occurs in people with African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern heritage.
Cohen Children's Medical Center's Dr. Charles Schleien noted that Beauzile's sickle cell anemia was treated with the patient's very own bone marrow in IV transfusions to create normal red blood cells.
"The cliche 'the future is here' is actually true in this case," Dr. Schleien said.
Sebastien been coming to Cohen Children's Medical Center for treatment since he was 2 months old, and he is now looking forward to traveling, exercising, and eventually pursuing a career in the medical field.
"I can't wait to get back to my day-to-day life because now I feel unstoppable," Beauzile said.
As of 2021, sickle cell anemia is estimated to affect about 7.7 million people worldwide, directly causing about 34,000 deaths annually and indirectly contributing to an additional 376,000 deaths.