CHAPEL HILL – Two years ago, Carlos and Tina Sandi faced a fear that was all too familiar – the fear of losing a child to cancer.

Their 4-year-old son, Phineas, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Their daughter, Althea, had been diagnosed with a different form of leukemia six years earlier and died from the disease shortly after her second birthday.

Facing a parent’s worst nightmare for a second time, the Sandi family sought treatment at UNC Hospitals.

Phineas is now a happy 6-year-old, thanks to groundbreaking new therapy that will soon be offered through the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Immunotherapy harnesses the power of the body’s own immune system to attack cancer. The therapy re-engineers disease-fighting white blood cells, known as T-cells, to recognize and attack cancer cells.

In 2016, UNC Lineberger will be one of just a few medical centers in the country – and the only one in the Southeast – to offer the therapy.

This is the sort of research the state-funded University Cancer Research Fund supports. It’s just one reason why the Higher Education Works Foundation supports the University Cancer Research Fund and UNC Lineberger.

Watch Phineas’ story here: https://unclineberger.org/immunotherapy