A new, cutting-edge leukemia treatment is now at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. This treatment could help families who used to have to travel hundreds of miles out-of-state.
Mom Jenny Greenwall has spent the past few years traveling to hospitals and doctor's appointments with her two boys, Bryce and Vance.
Her son, Bryce, was diagnosed with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL in 2013.
"So we've been on this journey for quite some time," she said.
Now, he's nine, back on the baseball field and getting stronger every day.
"There are no words that can describe that. Overall happiness," she said.
But Greenwall said staying in-state would've made a huge difference.
"It would've been easier on [my kids], easier on me. To have T-cell therapy available here at Vanderbilt," she said.
Now, CAR T-cell therapy is available at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The therapy takes a patient's own immune cells and reprograms them.
"So we can take their immune cells out, then these companies, Novartisin this case, can modify those cells, so that each and every one of the immune cells recognizes the patients cancer as being bad," said Dr. Carrie Kitco, Director, Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program, Monroe Carell Jr. Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Dr. Kitco said this treatment is particularly good for families who may feel as though they've run out of treatment options.
"So it's really a thrill to be able to do it here because not every family is fortunate enough to be able to pick up and move for a few months to another city," she said.
