6-year-old jumps for first time after muscular dystrophy treatment at Lurie Children's Hospital

CHICAGO - A 6-year-old child achieved a milestone by jumping for the first time after receiving treatment for muscular dystrophy at Lurie Children's Hospital.

Lurie's, located in Chicago, is the first hospital in Illinois to administer a gene therapy to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a treatment approved by the FDA in June.

Mason Flessner, the recipient of the treatment, underwent the therapy approximately eight months ago.

"We're really excited about the potential for this treatment to change the quality of life as well as change long-term outcomes for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy," said Dr. Abigail Schwaede, pediatric neurologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

The gene therapy is approved for patients who are 4 to 5 years old.

Dr. Schwaede expressed hope that the treatment would be approved for a wider age range in the future.