David Vetter

Who was David Vetter?

David Phillip Vetter was a prominent sufferer of severe combined immunodeficiency, a hereditary disease which dramatically weakens the immune system. Individuals born with SCID are abnormally susceptible to infections, and exposure to pathogens can be fatal. Vetter was referred to as "David, the bubble boy" by the media. Vetter's surname was not revealed to the general public until 10 years after his death in order to preserve his family's privacy.

In his first years of life he lived mostly at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. As he grew older, he lived increasingly at home with his parents and older sister Katherine in Shenandoah, Texas. He died in 1984, at the age of 12.

Vetter's parents were David Joseph Vetter, Jr. and Carol Ann Vetter. Their first son, David Joseph Vetter III, was also born with SCID and died at 7 months of age. Vetter's parents were advised by physicians that any future male children they might conceive would have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. At the time, the only management available for children born with SCID was isolation in a sterile environment until a successful bone marrow transplant could be performed.