Alexandria Teen Discharged After Receiving State's First Pediatric Lyfgenia

Phillip Mullin is going home.

The 15-year-old from Alexandria has become the first child in Louisiana to receive Lyfgenia, a stem cell treatment that functionally cures sickle cell disease. He is also the first person in the state to undergo the procedure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that sickle cell disease produces abnormal red blood cells, a condition that can trigger pain, infection, and stroke.

Mullin’s recovery was marked by a ceremony held Friday morning at Manning Family Children's Hospital in New Orleans. His mother, Shataka Figgins, told reporters she is now unpacking more than his medical supplies. "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 worries about her son's body, but also the young man who survived.

Mullin addressed the audience during the event, noting that sacrifices are necessary to gain anything. "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," Mullin said. Paige described the moment as emotional and said, "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 a patient describe their disease journey quite like Mullin. Manning called the teen a "wonderful young man" with a remarkable mind and labeled the outcome "a miracle."

Mullin has spent more than 100 nights in the hospital over the course of his life. He said he wants to return to school and eventually become a hematologist/oncologist. "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. For now, his immediate plan is to sleep in his own bed and build Legos with his baby sister.