New Orleans boy who beat a rare genetic disorder has a plan for Manning Family Children’s Hospital

Peyton Stewart, 11, told the CEO of Manning Family Children’s Hospital he wants his job after finishing treatment for a rare genetic mutation.

Most patients ring the bell and go home. Peyton Stewart rang it and announced his intention to run the place.

The 11-year-old told Lou Fragoso, CEO of Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, that he plans to take over the role someday. Speaking with PEOPLE, Peyton explained the reasoning, and it came down to basketball.

“I was so excited and felt so special when Mr. Lou came to visit me and played basketball with me,” he said. “He cheered me up on my hardest days and gave me something to look forward to.” What stuck with him was that the visits were not exclusive. “He didn’t only visit me, he visited all of the kids,” Peyton said, adding that he wants to do the same, helping children laugh on good days and get through hard ones.

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Reaching that bell took years. His mother, Laurie Stewart, told the outlet that Peyton began developing frequent chalazions at age 2, cysts on the eyelid caused by blocked oil glands. Surgery at 6 didn’t resolve them. In December 2023, while simultaneously fighting strep throat, the flu and pneumonia, doctors flagged his low hemoglobin.

The turning point came in February 2024. A sinus infection diagnosis was followed by a seizure, then another after he reached a local hospital. Staff there urged the family toward a specialist immediately, which brought him to Manning Family Children’s. “We were greeted with open arms,” his mother said.

The eventual diagnosis was a rare genetic mutation causing an autoimmune deficiency. Treatment included a bone marrow transplant, with his older brother Acie serving as the donor.

Peyton was direct about what that meant. “I am so thankful to Acie for giving me his bone marrow, and for giving me a second chance at life.”

He was equally direct about the difficulty. He described being scared, confused about why it was happening to him, and angry that it was. “Going through it was not easy, but it was worth it,” he said, calling the bell a sign of hope and new beginnings.

What he credits most is being allowed to remain a kid throughout, with activities that pulled his attention away from the hard parts.