Local doctor's story of chasing his own cure getting Hollywood treatment with Oscar-winning producer

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A local doctor searching for the cure to his own rare disease is now celebrating 10 years in remission, as well as 10 years of lifesaving research.

And now, Dr. David Fajgenbaum's inspiring story is getting the Hollywood treatment.

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"I read his story in the newspaper and I cold-called him and said, 'This is a great story. It needs to be told,'" says Wendy Finerman, the Oscar-winning producer of "Forrest Gump," "The Devil Wears Prada" and other Hollywood hits. "He is a human being who everyone can relate to. We all would like to be able to fix ourselves, but he had the ability."

Finerman joined everyone at the 6abc studios Thursday night to help celebrate Dr. Fajgenbaum's milestone.

He says he was on the brink of death, diagnosed with Castleman disease. It's a rare disorder that shuts down the immune system.

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"Thirteen years ago, when I was in ICU at Penn just down the street, I had my last rites read to me," Dr. Fajgenbaum recalls. "I couldn't have imagined that 13 years later I would be alive, married to Caitlin, with the two beautiful children we have. Now, I am able to have an impact beyond just myself. It really feels like a dream."

Dr. Fajgenbaum would go on to create the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, which is helping save lives across the globe.

That story of triumph will soon be told on the big screen.