A Cure for Byron

Byron was born with severe sickle cell disease, a painful, genetic blood disorder that can cause fatal organ blockage. As he grew, his symptoms continually worsened. Frequent pain crises and exhaustion from anemia eventually became so severe that the dedicated student had to drop out of medical school.

But instead of giving up, Byron searched for experimental treatments and cures on the internet. While no treatment options existed in his home country of Honduras, he eventually came across a promising trial at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. When he was accepted into the trial, he celebrated. 

In 2019, Byron underwent a bone marrow transplant. The grueling treatment successfully cured him of sickle cell disease. Byron, 30, is back home in Honduras where he is continuing to recover from his transplant and allowing his new immune system to strengthen before he returns to med school. His dream is to return to the NIH in the future as a researcher, not a patient.