Born in 1971 with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), David Vetter had no immune system. Even a simple cold could be fatal. To keep him alive, doctors placed him inside a sterile plastic bubble — where he lived his entire 12 years. 🫧

Inside those clear walls, David read, laughed, dreamed — and wanted to be an astronaut. 🚀 NASA even created a special suit so he could briefly move outside his chamber.

In 1984, a bone marrow transplant offered hope of freedom. Instead, an undetected virus led to lymphoma, and David passed away at age 12. 💔

But his life transformed science. His case accelerated research into SCID, leading to treatments and gene therapies that now save children around the world.

He never touched the world — but he changed it. ✨