Victoria Gray Receives 2024 Bill Ludwig Pioneer Embassador Award
The Emily Whitehead Foundation is proud to recognize Victoria Gray as the 2024 Bill Ludwig Pioneer Embassador Award recipient.
Before Emily Whitehead became the first pediatric patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy, there were three adult patients that participated in Dr. Carl June’s groundbreaking clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania. Bill Ludwig was the first of those patients to be treated, making him the patient that pioneered CAR-T for everyone who has since received it. Prior to his passing in 2021, CAR T-cell therapy gave Bill and his family the gift of ten healthy, happy and cancer-free years.
In September 2021, our primary Embassador Award was renamed to honor Bill’s memory and give thanks to his bravery as a pioneer. The award is presented at our Believe Ball to a patient, parent, patient advocate or scientific pioneer demonstrating the bravery and pioneer spirit of Bill Ludwig.
On Friday, September 27, 2024, at the fourth chapter of the Believe Ball, the Foundation was honored to present Warrior Victoria Gray with the Bill Ludwig Pioneer Embassador Award for her bravery in leading the field to discover new treatments for life challenging illnesses.
Victoria was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was just three months old. From there, she began a lifelong battle with bouts of debilitating pain, severe fatigue, long hospital stays and countless blood transfusions. At times, her symptoms became so severe that she lost the ability to walk and use her arms.
At the age of 33, Victoria joined a clinical trial in hopes of extending her life long enough to watch her children grow up. In 2019, she became the first person to be treated with CRISPR gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Victoria now celebrates five years of being symptom-free! She works full-time in addition to serving as a patient advocate and international speaker.
On behalf of the Whitehead family, Ludwig family and the Foundation, we thank Victoria for her pioneering contributions to the field of cell and gene therapies.