Beating Leukemia with Innovative Care: How CAR T Therapy at Manning Family Children’s Helped Addy Overcome Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Summer had just started for 11-year-old Adalyn Jensen, and she was looking forward to swimming, sleepovers, and her family’s annual trip to Florida. Those plans came to a screeching halt when she was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It occurs when immature white blood cells grow uncontrollably, interfering with the production of healthy cells and weakening the immune system.  

In June 2024, the Jensen family went out to eat in celebration of Father’s Day when Addy, as she’s known to her family and friends, said she wasn’t feeling well.  

“I took her to the bathroom, and she started vomiting what looked like blood,” explained Addy’s mom Stacey. “Our pediatrician thought it was a stomach virus, then possibly a GI issue. We kept repeating this cycle – she’d be tired and sick for a few days, then bounce back and feel good for a few days.”  

Over the next few weeks, Stacey took Addy to urgent care and the emergency room multiple times. One afternoon, Addy called and asked her mom to come home from work because she was vomiting again.  

“As I was leaving, my boss’ mother-in-law suggested I take Addy to Manning Family Children’s this time,” Stacey said. “Looking back, it all makes sense. Addy had been complaining about her back and legs hurting, and we thought it was just growing pains. When I look at pictures from that time, I can see how sick she looked, but I didn’t recognize it then. Since my boss’ mother-in-law works with oncology patients, she saw all the signs I couldn’t.” 

Shortly after arriving at Manning Family Children’s, Addy was admitted. As the family awaited test results, Stacey and her husband Jon theorized what the diagnosis could be — their best guess was appendicitis or something similar that could be easily resolved with surgery.  

“We never expected cancer,” Stacey said. “My husband broke down, then I got emotional. We tried to keep it together in front of Addy and our older son who was with us when we got the news. From there, everything moved quickly.”  

115 days later 

Within a few days, Addy began treatment and experienced several common side effects from chemotherapy, including infections, high blood sugar, and neuropathy.  

“Every child responds differently to cancer treatment, which is why it’s so important for us to educate and prepare parents for all the potential side effects,” explained Justin Farge, MD, pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Manning Family Children’s and Tulane University. “Addy experienced several of them, particularly during her first month of treatment.”  

ALL treatment is broken down into numerous cycles of chemotherapy, ultimately lasting over two years. While many assume remission doesn’t occur until treatment is complete, the initial induction phase is designed to achieve remission within the first 28 days of treatment. In most cases, patients have no detectable cancer cells after induction, and the remaining cycles help eliminate any undetectable cancer cells to reduce the risk of ALL returning.  

Unfortunately, Addy still had detectable leukemia cells after induction. Before she began the next phase, her care team wanted to give her a short break from the hospital and sent her home. But within 36 hours, Addy began experiencing infection symptoms that brought her right back to the hospital.  

“I got to the point where I had to ask if we were doing the right thing for Addy,” Stacey recalled. “For weeks, she couldn’t eat and rarely got out of bed because of the neuropathy pain. One night while she was sleeping, Dr. Farge came by to check on her, and I asked him that question. What I appreciated most about Dr. Farge was that he was always upfront with us. I never felt like he was just telling me what I wanted to hear. He sat with me, listened to my concerns, reassured me that Addy was strong, and helped me find the strength to keep going for her.”  ​

“Part of our job is to help parents through those tough times when you’re wondering if you’ve made the right decisions for your child,” Dr. Farge said. “I know it was incredibly difficult for Addy, Stacey, and the entire family to be facing a treatable disease, suffer all of these complications, and still not be in remission. Stacey and Jon always did a great job of being brave for Addy knowing that she was drawing her confidence from them.” 

In total, Addy would end up spending 115 days in the hospital—from July 3, when she was diagnosed to October 25 when she completed the second phase of treatment. Throughout her stay, her family and care team looked for ways to brighten her days.  

“Addy has two cats at home, so we did a lot of video calls for her to see them,” Stacey said. “She also grew very close to Dr. Amelia, who was a resident rotating with the oncology team at that time. Before Addy lost her hair, Dr. Amelia would spend her lunch breaks braiding Addy’s hair and talking with her. There are still nurses who call or text me to check on Addy. They’ll be our friends for life, especially Nurse Jenna, who bonded with Addy over her cats.”  

After the second phase of treatment, test results showed that Addy still had a small amount of cancer cells, and her body was worn out from the chemotherapy and its side effects. That’s when Dr. Farge called in Ben Watkins, MD, pediatric hematologist-oncologist and Director of the Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy Program at Manning Family Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and Tulane University. 

A new plan for Addy 

“Addy’s case is a perfect example of why we personalize care,” Dr. Watkins said. “Standard chemotherapy cures about 90% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases, but when it doesn’t, we’re ready to pivot. In Addy’s situation, more aggressive chemotherapy wasn’t going to cure Addy’s cancer, so we needed to find an effective alternative.”  

​Addy’s most promising option was chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, more commonly known as CAR T therapy. Currently, Manning Family Children’s is the only pediatric oncology center in Louisiana that offers it.  

“CAR T therapy is an innovative way to treat cancer by enlisting the patient’s own immune system in the fight,” Dr. Watkins explained. “T-cells are a critical part of our immune system and are responsible for protecting us from infection and disease by seeking out and destroying bad cells. For CAR T therapy, we collect millions of T-cells from the patient, then genetically modify and train them to attack the cancer cells. We then return the trained T-cells to the body, where they will seek out and kill the remaining cancer. These T-cells can remain in the body for several months or even years, continuing to kill any new cancer cells.”  

On March 19, 2025, Addy received the infusion of her trained T-cells. Thirty days later, a bone marrow biopsy brought the family the news they had been waiting for—no detectable cancer cells. For the first time since her diagnosis, Addy was in remission. 

“We were elated!” Stacey said. “It was such great news after almost a year of challenges. We’re still holding our breath for her six-month post-infusion biopsy, but we are incredibly grateful to have reached this point.” 

“If a patient is still in remission six months after the T-cell infusion, there is a good chance that they are cured, and the chance increases even more after 12 months,” Dr. Watkins explained. “Addy’s five-month biopsy results just came back clear, so we have a lot of hope. Her journey isn’t over quite yet, but we have a plan to go along with our hope.”  

“The fact that the team always had a plan for Addy brought me great confidence throughout our journey,” Stacey said. “Yes, Addy had a lot of complications from treatment, but that’s just how it went for her. But the team at Manning Family Children’s never stopped fighting for her. They always had a plan.” 

Moving forward with excitement and hope 

Though Addy is still recovering from the toll of treatment, her progress has been remarkable. The long periods of inactivity due to neuropathy pain weakened her legs, so Addy uses a wheelchair as she grows stronger and more confident with walking.  

“One of my favorite parts of this job is seeing the kids’ personalities shine through,” Dr. Farge said. “At first, Addy had a lot of anxiety about what was happening and was withdrawn. But as she began to feel better, her attitude and spunk returned, and it was such a joy to have conversations with Addy, especially about her cats.” 

Addy recently celebrated another major, exciting milestone: going back to school. ​

“Her immune system was weak during treatment, so we didn’t let her leave the house and didn’t let anyone come over,” Stacey said. “Once she started improving, we opened our bubble a bit—she visited a friend’s house a few times a week. When it was time to start seventh grade, it was recommended that she attend half-days for the first four weeks, but she was doing so well and loving the sense of normalcy that she started full days the first week. She loves being back in the classroom with her friends.” 

“Every cancer journey is different, and Addy’s story is a great example of that,” Dr. Watkins said. “I believe it’s important for the care team to walk the path alongside our patients and families and help them navigate the twists and turns. Some journeys are direct and easy, and others are uphill both ways. Either way, we’re walking with them and working to stay one step ahead of cancer.” 

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. To join us in the fight against pediatric cancer, right here at home, visit manningchildrens.org/cancer. 

Manning Family Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders comprises the largest pediatric hematology and oncology team in the Gulf South and are specially trained to offer the most advanced treatments for childhood cancer, right here at home. Click here to learn more about our pediatric oncology services and how we combine innovative, expert care with compassion and hope.  

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About Manning Family Children’s:

Manning Family Children’s is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Manning Family Children’s offers a comprehensive array of specialized pediatric services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, Children’s operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Children’s offers primary care at 17 convenient locations, along with a network of statewide pediatric affiliations. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at manningchildrens.org.