WuXi Advanced Therapies had the immense honor of sponsoring this year’s Emily Whitehead Foundation Believe Ball, held on September 27th in Philadelphia. It was a night to remember, filled with hope, inspiration, and community. The event brought together industry leaders, supporters, and patient warriors who have fought and continue to fight for a future with better access to life-saving therapies.
The stars of the evening were without question the numerous CAR-T warriors who took to the stage to share their remarkable stories. We were privileged to have Laurie Adami seated at our table with her son August. Laurie recently visited our site in Philadelphia and shared her amazing journey and story of resiliency and strength – further inspiring our team who work on CAR-T therapies like the one that saved her life.
The enthusiasm and support in the room were palpable as attendees rallied around the mission to advance therapies like CAR-T, the treatment that saved Emily Whitehead’s life.
In addition, two remarkable individuals were acknowledged: Victoria Gray, recipient of the Bill Ludwig Pioneer Embassador Award, and Dr. Amber K. Hamilton, who was honored with the Nicole Gularte Fight for Cures Embassador Award. Both have made incredible contributions to the fight for cures, and their stories of resilience and dedication left a lasting impression on everyone present.
As proud sponsors of the Believe Ball, WuXi Advanced Therapies is committed to supporting the Emily Whitehead Foundation’s mission. The foundation, known for its pioneering role in advancing therapies like CAR-T, is helping create a future where more patients have access to these breakthrough treatments.
For more information about the Believe Ball and the foundation’s efforts, visit the official page here.
Tom Whitehead’s Inspiring Visit to WuXi Advanced Therapies
Just before the Believe Ball, WuXi Advanced Therapies had the privilege of hosting Tom Whitehead, co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation, at our Philadelphia site. Tom toured our facilities and then delivered a “True North Town Hall” presentation where he shared the moving story of his daughter Emily’s battle with cancer and her experience receiving groundbreaking treatment with CAR-T cell therapy. Emily was the first pediatric patient to undergo this experimental therapy at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and her success has given hope to countless others.
Tom’s visit provided an opportunity for our team to reconnect with the reason we do what we do and the importance of our work. Tom expressed his gratitude for the work being done at our site by each employee as well as the progress made in the field of advanced therapies. Our team left inspired by his words of appreciation as well as his passion and dedication to raising awareness and advocating for advanced therapies. He also shared how we can contribute to the foundation’s mission of activating the cure.
Book Club Launches with Praying for Emily: The Faith, Science, and Miracles That Saved Our Daughter
As part of our ongoing commitment to patient advocacy and raising awareness about life-saving therapies, WuXi Advanced Therapies recently launched a company-wide book club which will focus on reading books that center around our industry and the patient communities we serve.
The inaugural book for this initiative was Praying for Emily: The Faith, Science, and Miracles That Saved Our Daughter and right after he spoke to a packed room for our True North Town Hall, Tom joined us for our very first book club discussion, giving readers the unique opportunity to speak directly to Tom about Emily’s journey.
We found the book to be a great read because it not only captures the emotional and spiritual aspects of Emily’s fight but also delves into the scientific breakthrough that saved her life. It clearly demonstrated how and why she has become a beacon of hope for families around the world. It’s an inspiring read that highlights the incredible advancements of CAR-T while also sharing the deeply personal challenges the Whitehead family faced.
The lively, and often poignant discussion, revolved around the book’s themes of perseverance, hope, and the life-saving potential of advanced therapies. The response to the book and the discussion was overwhelmingly positive, with participants expressing how much Emily’s story resonated, not just personally, but in the context of their work developing cutting-edge therapies for patients like her.
For many employees, reading Praying for Emily has deepened their connection to the mission we share—to accelerate access to advanced therapies and ensure that more families can experience the same hope and success the Whiteheads did. We believe initiatives like this book club foster a greater sense of purpose and understanding within our organization, reminding us of the very real lives behind the scientific work we do every day.
If you haven’t had a chance to read Praying for Emily yet, it is available on Amazon and other popular book retailers.