Curative Therapies Program

The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has one of the largest pediatric sickle cell disease patient populations in the country, caring for more than 2,100 sickle cell patients annually. The large volume of patients we serve has allowed us to become experts in the field of curative options for sickle cell, which has allowed us to develop into one of the nation’s leading BMT programs for sickle cell patients. The world’s first sickle cell patient to undergo an unrelated cord blood transplant took place at our Egleston Hospital in 1998. 

We are the only pediatric transplant program in Georgia, and patients come from other cities, states and countries for our expertise. Our Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center has treated more than 140 children with sickle cell disease using BMTs, and more than 120 patients were treated through matched sibling donor BMT.

Sickle cell disease is associated with significant morbidity and early mortality, despite currently available medical treatments. The goal of our program is to improve outcomes by providing the only current curative options: BMT and gene therapy. Children’s is one of few institutions offering the latest studies in transformative gene therapy. To date, we have treated eight patients via gene therapy with more trials coming soon.

Our curative therapies program offers sickle cell disease patients comprehensive evaluation, coordinated care and various treatment options that include bone marrow transplant (BMT) and gene therapy.

This program and our expertise in curative therapies will enhance delivery of care by increasing awareness of curative treatment options for sickle cell to not only families, but outside providers as well. Clinical trials are currently available for matched related donors as well as autologous gene therapy.

Interested in referring a patient to our curative therapies team? Please email us at scdcurativetherapies@choa.org and our nurse coordinator will be in touch with you and your patient soon. You can also call 404-785-1358.

• Beth Stenger, MD, Blood and Marrow Transplant
• Ann Haight, MD, Blood and Marrow Transplant
• Suhag Parikh, MD, Blood and Marrow Transplant
• Staci Arnold, MD, MBA, MPH, General Hematology
• Kirshma Khemani, MD, Blood and Marrow Transplant
• Winslow Whitehurst, MSN, RN, Curative Therapies Clinical Nurse Coordinator