No symptoms, no transfusions, college ahead: Vian's gene therapy gave her life back

Vian, 16, from Coventry, grew up around hospital wards. Born with thalassemia — a blood disorder that left her tired, short of breath and without appetite — she needed blood transfusions every month, regularly missed school, and would be ill for weeks after ordinary childhood vaccinations. Then came a groundbreaking gene therapy at Birmingham Children's Hospital: doctors edited her DNA to switch back on a gene that makes haemoglobin, the part of blood that carries oxygen. Early this year the treatment worked. Vian has no symptoms and needs no more transfusions. She sat her GCSEs, and is now at college studying health and social care, determined to become a nurse specialising in thalassemia. 'I have grown up going to hospital, surrounded by nurses — and they have inspired me to join them,' she said. Birmingham is one of only three centres in the country offering the therapy, and another young patient, JoelSamuel, is now beginning the same journey.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation