Throughout 2026, we’re celebrating the many “firsts” that have made CHOP a world leader in pediatric healthcare. Today, we’re highlighting the first pediatric patient ever treated with CAR T-cell therapy. In 2012, Tom and Kari Whitehead came to CHOP looking for a miracle for their 6-year-old daughter, Emily, who was battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The standard treatment had not worked for Emily, and she relapsed twice. But our team had a new option for her: CAR T-cell therapy, developed at CHOP and pennmedicine. Emily was the first child to receive this breakthrough treatment – and more than a decade later, she remains cancer-free. CHOP has now treated more than 700 patients with CAR T-cell therapy, and is continuing to develop new cell and gene therapies to treat a wide range of conditions. Learn more about Emily at the link in our bio. #PhillyFirst #Philly2026