David Phillip Vetter (September 21, 1971 – February 22, 1984)[1] was an American boy with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a hereditary disease which dramatically weakens the immune system.

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.

Initial plans to proceed with a bone-marrow transplant came to a halt after it was determined that the prospective donor, Vetter's sister Katherine, was not a match.

A friend arranged for a special showing of Return of the Jedi at a local theater so that Vetter could attend the movie in his transport chamber.

[4] When Vetter was four years old, he discovered that he could poke holes in his bubble using a butterfly needle that was left inside the chamber by mistake.

The suit was connected to his bubble via an eight-foot (2.5 m) long cloth tube and although cumbersome, it allowed him to venture outside without serious risk of contamination.

[6] Approximately $1.3 million was spent on Vetter's care, but scientific study failed to produce a true cure and no donor match was identified.

The autopsy revealed that Katherine's bone marrow contained traces of a dormant virus, Epstein–Barr, which was undetectable in the pre-transplant screening.

[13] The book was published in 2019 under the title Bursting the Bubble: The Tortured Life and Untimely Death of David Vetter.