For 21 years, Sebastien Beauzile lived with the chronic pain and debilitating effects of sickle cell anemia. Today, he is officially cured, marking a historic breakthrough in the treatment of the disease.
Doctors at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, successfully administered a groundbreaking gene therapy, making Beauzile the first person in New York to be cured of sickle cell anemia. The treatment, known as Lyfgenia, modifies a patient’s own bone marrow to create healthy red blood cells—eliminating the root cause of the disease.
“Sickle cell was like a blockade for me, but now it’s just like a wall that I just jumped over,” Beauzile told CBS News.
For years, his condition prevented him from fully enjoying life—limiting his physical activities and causing frequent hospital visits. Now, he looks forward to traveling, exercising, and pursuing his education. His ultimate goal? To work in the medical field and give back to the community.
“Amazing. I can’t wait to get back to my day-to-day life because now I feel unstoppable,” Beauzile shares.
Sebastien Beauzile is the first person in New York to be cured of sickle cell anemia. For too long, research and treatment for sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects Black people, have taken a back seat. It's my honor to support Cohen Children’s Medical Center with… pic.twitter.com/z0St9Xel6C
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) March 17, 2025
Sickle cell anemia was first described in 1910, primarily affecting people of African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern descent. But for over a century, a definitive cure remained elusive.
“Sickle cell disease was described in modern medicine in 1910, and here we are over 100 years later, and this is the first cure you are seeing,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lipton, a Pediatric Hematology Oncology specialist at Northwell Health.
The key to this breakthrough is Lyfgenia, which involves extracting a patient’s stem cells, modifying them genetically to produce normal hemoglobin, and reinfusing them into the body. Unlike traditional bone marrow transplants, which require a donor match, Lyfgenia utilizes the patient’s own cells, reducing the risk of rejection.
Sebastien’s story has drawn national attention, including support from civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who announced a $100,000 donation to Northwell Health to further its efforts in treating sickle cell disease.
The success of Lyfgenia offers hope to the estimated 100,000 Americans living with sickle cell anemia. Doctors believe this treatment could soon become widely available, potentially eliminating the disease entirely.
