When she first arrived at Penn, Emily Whitehead was a 6-year-old patient diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her story spread to the farthest corners of the globe when she became the first child cured of #leukemia with CAR T cell therapy, a revolutionary treatment developed at Penn that engineers a patient's own immune system to fight cancer cells. Eleven years later, Emily has returned to the #WestPhilly campus, this time as a freshman at uofpenn. Her studies are her main focus, but she's still committed to advocating for children with cancer and acting as an example of the fulfilling life that can follow the disease. “It’s a privilege,” she said. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming. It actually is both.” Read her full phillyinquirer story at the link in our bio. ewhiteheadfdn #CARTcelltherapy #immunotherapy #cancertreatment