For 25 years, Xavius planned his life around pain. Cold weather. Travel. Even jumping into a pool could trigger a sickle cell disease crisis. Then, in search of new possibilities, he found pediatric hematologist Dr. Christopher McKinney and enrolled in a gene-editing clinical trial here at Children's Colorado. After 40 days in the hospital, he arrived at a place he never thought possible: freedom from the pain and limitations that had shaped his life since birth. “I didn't have to worry about the things that I did before,” Xavius says. “I could go out in the cold without a coat on and even tried cryotherapy without going through a crisis." Today, Xavius is studying to become a physician and looking toward a future that once felt out of reach. “Sickle cell is a tough disease and it's really hard to explain to people around you,” Xavius says. “But you can find a way to channel the darkest parts to help someone else and be positive." #HereItsDifferent #SickleCellAwarenessMon...