There’s this story of 10-year-old Viet Tai from Hanoi, Vietnam, showcasing his extraordinary journey of survival and hope in the face of a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Stricken with a rare type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Viet Tai’s initial treatment in his home country failed, pushing his family to seek out alternative options. Sacrificing everything they have, the family’s decision to travel to Singapore to pursue a new experimental treatment at the National University Hospital (NUH) would be life-changing.
Upon arrival in Singapore, it was discovered that Viet Tai had a particularly challenging form of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia that did not respond to traditional therapies. Despite undergoing intensive chemotherapy, his condition deteriorated, leading to infections and blood clots that left him unable to walk without the use of a wheelchair. With a bleak prognosis and less than a 10% chance of survival, Viet Tai’s situation was dire.
In a bold move to save his life, doctors at NUH developed a groundbreaking cell therapy treatment targeting CD7 on leukemia cells. Viet Tai became the first patient in the world to undergo this experimental procedure. The treatment, which involved reprogramming the patient’s T-cells to fight the cancer, required Viet Tai to be isolated for a month to protect his weakened immune system.
Despite the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the innovative treatment, Viet Tai’s resilience and the unwavering support of his family and medical team were instrumental in his remarkable recovery. After a month of isolation, Viet Tai showed signs of improvement and eventually went into remission for the first time in eight months. Today, more than four-and-a-half years later, he remains cancer-free, defying the odds and inspiring hope for other patients facing similar battles.