By: Trish Adkins
In 2013, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation funded researcher Dr. Rebecca Gardner and her team at Seattle Children’s Hospital began enrolling patients in what was a crazy, sci-fi-esque trial at the time. The trial engineered a child’s immune system and turned those cells in cancer killers.
“I still remember the first patient we infused, and in my heart I wanted it to work so badly and in my head I was like, ‘There’s no way this is going to work,’” recalls Dr. Gardner, who is now at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
At the same time, 175 miles away in Portland ,Oregon, Greta Oberhofer was facing relapsed leukemia.
Diagnosed at 3 months old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Greta endured frontline chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant—with marrow donated by her older sister. The transplant left Greta leukemia-free, but critically ill. Little Greta rallied and spent an amazing and healthy six months at home with family. Then, she relapsed.
While ALL is typically thought of as a highly curable form of leukemia, when relapse happens options are limited.
Greta hadn’t celebrated her first birthday and time was running out.
There was one option—that crazy, sci-fi-esque trial in Seattle led by Dr. Gardner. The trial, which used the now well-known CAR T immunotherapy, was a match for Greta. The only problem: Greta lived so far away.
“I remember talking to her dad on the phone and he’s like, so you’re just asking me to bring my kid up to Seattle for what might be the last days of her life,” said Dr. Gardner, “I replied, ‘Yeah, I am.’”
Greta’s family was also referred to ALSF’s Travel For Care program, which provides support and alleviates some of the financial burdens associated with traveling for cancer treatment.
The family went, feeling hopeful. Dr. Gardner was also hopeful.
CAR T therapy isn’t as simple as prescribed pill—Greta’s treatment was custom-made using her own harvested T cells. After collection, her cells were programmed to attack the leukemia cells and returned to her.
Dr. Gardner and her team waited and watched. And then, a fever developed.
The crazy, sci-fi-esque treatment was working.
“Greta came and got her T cells, and it’s 9 years later, and she is still alive. Her cancer never came back.” Dr. Gardner said.
Dr. Gardner’s heart was right. And it was her head that drove the endless hours of research that made the CAR T immunotherapy trial possible. Four years later, a type of CAR T immunotherapy was approved for children with certain types of immunotherapy. Today, there are several CAR T products approved for adults, and continued trials for kids facing leukemia, lymphoma, solid tumors and also brain tumors.
Greta is now 10 years old. She loves her best friend and animals and laughing.
“We find ourselves thankful literally every day for the hopes and dreams we are seeing Greta realize,” said her mother, Maggie.
Fund Research. Find Cures. Help Kids.
All of this, from research breakthroughs to cures, is made possible by generous supporters, who were inspired by ALSF founder Alex Scott’s dream of finding cures for all children.
