CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kahlil Washington, 9, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a newborn. At 2 years old he started having full body pain attacks that could leave him bedridden for more than a week.

Sickle cell disease happens when red blood cells are shaped like crescent moons instead of round disks.

This makes it harder for blood cells to move through the body, which can cause pain, organ damage, and other serious health problems.

Kahlil’s parents, Mili and Tyris Washington, got him medications and therapies to help the pain, but it wasn’t always enough.

“As a parent, you will give anything for your child. I have no problems giving my life for them, for their health and their wellbeing. When you can’t do anything about it, it hurts,” Tyris says.

Levine Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in the region to offer bone marrow transplants for sickle cell patients. This year, Kahlil was screened for the process and both of his siblings, Kabir and Kaavya, were a perfect match to donate bone marrow.

Kahlil was given bone marrow from his sister, Kaavya, and spent six weeks in the hospital.

“I’m feeling good. When I got home I was really excited,” Kahlil says.

Levine Children’s Hospital is also using gene therapy to take a patient's stem cells, remove the sickle cell disease defect, and give them back to patients in a transfusion.

Click here to learn more about sickle cell disease treatments at Levine Children’s Hospital.