After moving to Arizona and starting new medications for his genetic disease, Jesse Gelsinger was living a more normal life. Jesse made friends and got a job at a grocery store. He messed with his siblings and got passing grades in school.
Jesse grew from a spunky kid into a rebellious teenager. He watched Adam Sandler movies, loved Rambo and Sylvester Stallone. He liked cats. He loved motorcycles.The first time, when he was 10 and away from home, he fell into a stupor and was hospitalized for five days.
At that moment in time, Jesse wasn’t doing it for himself. There was no guarantee his condition would be cured, and he wouldn’t see any direct effects in his own body. But he was hopeful that the research might one day mean that babies born with an even more severe version of his condition wouldn’t have to die, or suffer.
They took a brief trip up to New York City, visiting the FAO Schwarz store, then came home to Arizona. The process takes advantage of biological processes similar to some vaccines, processes that were thrust into the spotlight because of COVID-19. Both vaccines and gene therapy have now saved or changed millions of lives, the former by preventing illness and the latter by curing disease or improving symptoms.
“I got that back from my kid,” he said. “‘I love you too, Dad.’ Turns out those were my last words with my boy.” The researchers put them up at a hotel, but Paul couldn’t sleep. He returned to the hospital. Jesse didn’t look good. There was blood in the urine bag. Another student came into the classroom and talked to her teacher. The teacher told Anne she needed to go to the office. Anne started to get up. They told her to take her things with her.
A few months after Jesse’s death, Paul testified before the U.S. Senate as a health subcommittee discussed the oversight mechanisms in place for gene therapy clinical trials, and assessed where those mechanisms might be failing. He doesn’t do that much anymore. After a while, he had to stop. It was taking a toll on him, to keep going back to that part of his life so frequently.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Help kids, help yourself on your taxes by donating to Arizona Daily Star Send A Kid to CampThanks to Arizona Daily Star readers Southern Arizona boys and girls are going to summer camp.
Read more »
Arizona Opinion: Arizona’s water future depends on new water supplies'there will be significant legal hurdles to overcome, and the price tag will be very high.'
Read more »
How the promise of experimental gene therapy turned tragic for one Arizona familyJesse Gelsinger's is a cautionary tale in gene therapy research, again in the spotlight due to COVID-19.
Read more »
Jesse Watters Takes Over Tucker Timeslot in Fox News Primetime OverhaulJesse Watters, the wisecracking conservative who got his start with man-on-the-street interview segments for Fox News opinion host Bill O’Reilly’s 8 p.m. program, is about to enjoy a ho…
Read more »
Fox News taps Jesse Watters to succeed ousted host Tucker Carlson in key primetime hourNEW: Jesse Watters will replace ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson in the network's 8 p.m. time slot, the company says.
Read more »