A New Orleans man became the first person in Louisiana to be functionally cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy.

Daniel Cressy, 23, underwent the procedure at Manning Family Children's Hospital, with doctors saying the disease is now no longer active in his system."This entire journey was the hardest thing I've been through in my life," Cressy shared during a press conference announcing he is clear of the disease.

He said it was a two-year battle and journey under the gene therapy procedure.