The Philipsburg teen who started a ‘revolution in pediatric cancer care’ is 10 years cancer-free
A Philipsburg teenager that made history as the first pediatric patient in the world to receive a then-experimental cancer treatment and her parents celebrated Wednesday her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.
Emily Whitehead was marked cured of acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a type of cancer in the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells — by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Dr. Stephan Grupp.
The 17-year-old junior got her driver’s license in January and is preparing to take the SAT next month, just one step toward applying to universities throughout the country. She’s interested in pursuing a career in film or environmental science.
“It’s been amazing for us as parents to see that she not only survived cancer, but now she’s thriving in life,” her father, Tom Whitehead, said. “We’ve been able to travel all over the world with her and make a difference and pay it forward. ... We get to make these amazing memories with her to turn something that was terrible into something really positive.”
Whitehead was diagnosed with the disease a dozen years ago when she was 5 years old. She relapsed twice, before the most common type of cancer in children became resistant to her treatment options.
Tom and his wife, Kari, were told their daughter would likely live with the rapidly progressing leukemia for no more than a few weeks. The Whiteheads were never going to accept that.
They enrolled Emily in a clinical trial led by a team that included Grupp, a pioneer in the field of cellular immunotherapy, just before her 7th birthday. The experimental CAR-T cell therapy treatment genetically alters some of a person’s white blood cells to fight cancer cells.
The one-time treatment was a success.
The girl who was once told she had no future was in complete remission less than a month after she started the breakthrough treatment, which has since been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has been used with thousands of others.
“Ten years ago, we had no idea what to expect. Would the treatment work? Would it last? In the end, her outcomes far exceeded our most optimistic expectations,” Grupp said in a written statement. “... It has truly been a revolution in pediatric cancer care, and it started with Emily.”
Added her father: “It’s just incredible for us. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”
The first-of-its-kind treatment garnered worldwide attention. It also earned Emily meetings with famous filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Ken Burns.
The Whitehead family released a book last fall with a foreword written by Burns, titled “Praying for Emily: The Faith, Science, and Miracles that Saved Our Daughter.”
“It’s been such a delight and truly a wonderful story,” Philipsburg native and retired 14-year NFL veteran Jon Condo said. “... To see her thrive and to see her living her life is what it’s all about.”
The Whiteheads are gearing up to host one of their biggest fundraisers, which Condo helped kick-start nearly a decade ago. The 8th Annual “Tee Off for T-Cells” Golf Tournament is scheduled for July 15 at the Philipsburg Elks Lodge & Country Club.
A 95-minute documentary led by Academy Award-winning director Ross Kauffman is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. A screening is also scheduled for July 14 at the Rowland Theatre.
Those interested in helping the foundation can make a tax-deductible donation at emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/donate via either credit card or PayPal. You can also sign up to volunteer or help plan September’s “Believe Ball” for patients, survivors, families and researchers.
“The big thing it’s taught me is to be in the moment with my kids. Be present with them,” said Condo, a father of three children all younger than 10. “It’s so easy to get distracted with work and your day-to-day life than to really be present. At any given moment, stuff can be taken away from you. ... I really want to be a father that’s extremely present in their lives, and Emily’s story is part of the reason why.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 5:00 AM.