Canadian Boy Undergoes Gene Therapy in Italy

Yesterday's Toronto Star has this story about sixteen-month-old Parker DesLauriers from Ajax, Ontario. This young boy has ADA-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency ("SCID", also known as "Bubble Boy Disease"). You can learn more about SCID here.

SCID is a rare, genetic disorder that is characterized by little or no immune response. Parker and his family travelled to Milan to partake in a gene therapy trial. And this inspirational blog by Parker's family really brings home the magnitude of the stakes at issue with experimental biomedical research like gene therapy. Thanks to the DesLauriers family for sharing Parker's story with us.

As I was reading their blog my youngest son, who is 4, asked me what I was doing. And I told him about Parker, SCID and the experimental treatment Parker travelled all the way to Italy to receive. So we wish Parker and his family all the best with a speedy and successful recovery.

Cheers,
Colin