X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Finding the cure for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease

2 min read
Finding the cure for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency DiseaseFinding the cure for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease

Three years ago, little Evangelina's parents had to make sure their little girl didn't even catch a cold, as it could have killed her. The little girl had "bubble baby" disease. Read Evangelina's story and how she was cured, in this article.

Three years ago and just a few days after bringing home her twin baby girls, Alysia Vaccaro’s mummy intuition told her that little Evangelina wasn’t as healthy as her sister.

And she was right. Evangeina has been born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID), also known as “bubble baby” disease.

SCID is a genetic disorder that causes the body to have an extremely weakened immune system. Babies with this disease are extremely vulnerable to infections — even the common cold could have deadly repercussions.

A CBS News report quotes the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology as saying that babies with SCID “often come down with recurrent, severe respiratory infections that can be life threatening.”

Alysia tells the news agency, “We wore masks, we had hand sanitizer, we had raw hands from cleaning so much.”

bubble baby disease cure

Evangeline when she was born (left) and now, a healthy 3 year old.

Looking for, and finding a solution

It’s not hard to imagine the stress the Vaccaros were under with having to ensure that not one germ entered their little girl’s system.

Looking for a solution, they turned to Dr. Donald Kohn at the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA, and enrolled their little girl in a clinical trial he was conducting there. Dr. Kohn’s specialty is developing new methods for the treatment of genetic diseases of blood cells.

And it looked like they found a solution to their daughter’s problem. Evangelina is now three years old and the picture of health.

The cure?

Dr. Kohn’s treatment “involves taking bone marrow from the patient to gather stem cells. A cloned gene is then added to correct what was missing at birth,” say reports.

These stem cells are then given back to the patient, where they enter the bone marrow and make the blood cells for the duration of the patient’s life.

Up to now the treatment has corrected the immune systems of all 23 patients who participated in the clinical trials, including little Evangelina.

In cases like this, Science certainly brings us hope, right parents?

If you could wish for a cure for one disease that affects children, what would it be? Tell us in a comment below. 

Partner Stories
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Experiencing Mood Swings, Irregular Periods and Weight Gain Among Other Things? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hormonal Imbalance
Is the Spice in Your Life Taking a Toll on Your Tummy?
Is the Spice in Your Life Taking a Toll on Your Tummy?
Read This Before You Enjoy the Satisfaction of Cracking Your Joints!
Read This Before You Enjoy the Satisfaction of Cracking Your Joints!
Pregnancy 101: 6 Types of Pains and Ways to Manage Them
Pregnancy 101: 6 Types of Pains and Ways to Manage Them

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

theAsianparent

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Finding the cure for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease
Share:
  • Gaucher's Disease: Singapore Girl's Illness Causes Tummy To Bloat Abnormally

    Gaucher's Disease: Singapore Girl's Illness Causes Tummy To Bloat Abnormally

  • Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder in children: Why this dad is running for his son...

    Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder in children: Why this dad is running for his son...

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

app info
get app banner
  • Gaucher's Disease: Singapore Girl's Illness Causes Tummy To Bloat Abnormally

    Gaucher's Disease: Singapore Girl's Illness Causes Tummy To Bloat Abnormally

  • Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder in children: Why this dad is running for his son...

    Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder in children: Why this dad is running for his son...

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

  • "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

    "It was like a bad movie." Family of 5 Jumps Off From Their Apartment in Switzerland

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.