Medical breakthrough: 8-year-old boy first in New York to receive FDA-approved gene therapy for rare inherited blood disorder [Video]

QUEENS (WABC) — Doctors say gene therapy is something the medical community has been working toward for decades.

They say it’s a game changer, not just for one particular disorder but for other similar disorders.

In many ways, Yusef is just your average 8-year-old.

He loves dinosaurs, watching TV, and playing with his twin sister.

But now, he’s making history as the first patient in the state of New York to undergo an FDA-approved gene therapy for a rare inherited blood disorder called beta-thalassemia.

“Speaking personally as a medical professional, but especially a pediatric hematologist and colleges and transplant doctor, this is just such an unbelievable time to be practicing, literally watching medicine change on a day-by-day basis in front of our eyes,” said Dr. John Fish, Head of Stem Cell Transplant and Therapy at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

Previously, the only treatment options were a bone marrow transplant from a donor, usually a compatible family member, or blood infusions every two …