Hanif Mouehla was given the news that he had sickle cell disease shortly after turning eight years old, and he immediately began to fight for his life. The 17-year-old is now considering the pre-med track at Harvard University because the treatment he received motivated him to want to one day return the favor.
The recent high school graduate, who will attend the esteemed university in the fall, tells PEOPLE that she “would say that from a young age I was strictly focused on medicine and becoming a doctor.”.
Hanif was admitted to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Westchester County, New York,’s intensive care unit when he was eight years old. His illness had already caused both of his lungs to collapse, and as his condition deteriorated, doctors put him into a coma.
“I had my worst pain crisis in my life where I had a 20% chance of surviving,” says Hanif.
The young boy fought back and is now sharing how an experimental stem cell transplant not only saved his life, but also gave him a purpose. For six weeks, his prognosis was unclear and doctors were unsure that he would survive.
Observing the medical center as a whole was something he says made him want to pursue medicine, specifically becoming a hematologist.
The physician who treated Hanif takes great pride in and has respect for the fact that Hanif is thought to be sickle cell-free.
Dr. Hanif’s former pediatric hematology-oncology doctor, Mitchell Cairo, now works for the teen and has a further connection to him.
Hanif and the doctor collaborated on research projects last summer, with a shared aim to find a treatment for the crippling illness, which is an inherited blood disorder that affects an estimated 70,000–100,000 Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the disease is also most common among Black people, where 1 in 13 people receive a diagnosis each year.
According to the hospital, a small number of centers are currently taking part in a clinical trial for Cairo’s sickle cell disease therapy, which is currently in its second phase.
Hanif received a familial haploidentical stem cell transplant from his mother Khuraira Musa years ago because none of his siblings were compatible, thanks to Cairo’s research.
To make sure that Khuraira’s cells could eliminate the sickle cells in Hanif’s bloodstream, they were first “supercharged” in Cairo’s lab.
Hanif was “relatively out of the woods and stable,” according to the doctor, six months later. ”.
Following Hanif’s recovery, “It’s been a wonderful journey,” Khuraira tells PEOPLE. And as a parent, I only wish that every parent could experience what I do with Hanif right now. ”.
Hanif’s desire to work in medicine was sparked by the experience, and in the time since his transplant and recovery, he has put a lot of effort into realizing his goal.
Hanif was a standout student at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, New Jersey, where he also served as class president and played football. In December of last year, Hanif received word that he had been accepted into Harvard University’s Class of 2027.
Cairo says that witnessing the transformation has been “one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had” as a doctor. It’s difficult to get into Harvard, so of course you get a transformation like the one where he now wants to help others.
It’s kind of an indescribable feeling because, in addition to watching someone sort of resume their normal life, they are now kicking into high gear and assuming additional stress to make a difference for the next generation,” Cairo explains.
“I am just so thankful for everyone on my journey,” Hanif continues. “.
