When 13-month-old Adam’s stem cell transplant failed, doctors presented his parents with two grim options: a second transplant with a 10% to 15% risk of death, or an untested gene therapy.
Adam’s parents, Mary Beth and Dave Brennan, had already watched their son endure the grueling first transplant. At one point, he stopped breathing, and nurses rushed in to revive him. Fearing another life-threatening ordeal, they chose the experimental gene therapy.
Against the odds, Adam thrived. Born with a severe rare disease, he reached developmental milestones, learned sign language, and even taught himself to read. His progress was a beacon of hope for his family.
Then, last year, a routine scan revealed a golf-ball sized tumor on his brain.
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