After 100 Hospital Stays, Alexandria Teen Looks Toward a Future Treating Sickle Cell Disease

NEW ORLEANS — After more than 100 hospital stays and 15 surgeries, Phillip Mullin stood before family, friends and his medical team with a new goal: becoming a doctor who can help children living with sickle cell disease.

The 15-year-old from Alexandria rang a bell Oct. 23 at Manning Family Children’s Hospital to celebrate what his care team described as a functional cure through gene therapy. The hospital said Mullin is the first child and second person in Louisiana to receive gene therapy for sickle cell disease, and the first person in the state to receive the treatment Lyfgenia.

For Mullin, a student at Holy Savior Menard High School, the milestone followed a childhood shaped by unpredictable pain and repeated trips to the hospital. Diagnosed as a newborn, he and his family had tried available medications to reduce his painful episodes before exploring gene therapy.

His mother, Shataka Figgins, said returning home would mean unpacking more than a hospital bag. She reflected on the fear, sleepless nights and uncertainty that accompanied her son’s illness, as well as the strength he showed through treatment.

Mullin also recognized the people who stood beside him, calling his sister Paige his superhero. Paige said she had never expected her brother would have the opportunity to receive the treatment and was grateful for the outcome.

A demanding path to treatment

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that can cause red blood cells to become rigid and misshapen, restricting blood flow. Its complications can include severe pain, infections and stroke.

Lyfgenia is a one-time treatment made from a patient’s own blood-forming stem cells. The cells are modified in a laboratory to help produce hemoglobin that resists sickling, then returned to the patient after chemotherapy prepares the bone marrow. The treatment is approved for patients age 12 and older who have sickle cell disease and a history of painful episodes known as vaso-occlusive events.

Mullin researched his options and advocated for gene therapy, according to the hospital. His family sought care with a team that included Dr. Benjamin Watkins, director of the hospital’s stem cell transplant and cellular therapies program.

The process took time. Authorization was requested in December 2024 and secured in June 2025, the hospital said. Mullin began preparing in August 2025, undergoing blood exchanges, stem cell collection and chemotherapy before receiving his modified cells July 13, 2026 — his younger sister’s 10th birthday.

Recovery brought its own challenges. Mullin developed severe inflammation in his mouth and throat that required a feeding tube and intravenous pain medication. More than 100 days after the infusion, he rang the bell with the highest hemoglobin level of his life, the hospital said.

A functional cure describes the result of his treatment; it does not mean the inherited gene has been removed from every cell or that ongoing medical follow-up is unnecessary. Lyfgenia carries a warning because blood cancers have occurred in patients treated with it, and recipients require lifelong monitoring.

A future beyond the hospital

The celebration included a custom Lego display honoring one of Mullin’s favorite hobbies. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, a hospital namesake, attended, and former NFL player and sickle cell advocate Tevin Coleman also took part. Manning praised Mullin after hearing him describe his journey.

Mullin, who also enjoys Spider-Man, said he hopes more people with sickle cell disease can receive gene therapy. He plans to return to school and pursue a career in hematology and oncology, treating blood disorders and cancer. His experience, he said, would help him relate to patients facing the same disease.

His story reflects a medical advance for a disease that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the United States. Sickle cell disease occurs in about one of every 365 Black or African American births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For now, Mullin has simpler plans: sleeping in his own bed and building more Lego creations with his younger sister.