No Place Like St. Jude

We are a beacon of light in a parent's darkest night.

There's no place like St. Jude for...

• Community Outreach
• Cutting Edge Research
• Supporting Pediatric Care
• Treatment of Rare Catastrophic Diseases
• Treatment of Pediatric Cancer

View our interactive THERES NO PLACE LIKE JUDE MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION

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Give a gift of life this Father's Day

Don't get Dad another tie for Father's Day this year. Give him a special and unique gift by making a donation in his name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Your gift to St. Jude, made in Dad's name, will help children battling deadly diseases such as cancer and will help other dads to celebrate many more Father's Days with their children.

Click here to make a Father's Day donation.

Once you make your donation, you can have a special Father's Day I-Card sent to notify Dad of your gift. Or you can:

Print you own card. If you prefer not to send an I-Card, you can print out the card you selected and either mail it yourself or hand deliver it to your honoree.

Have us mail it for you. If you prefer, we can postal mail your card for you. Just provide us with an address where you want the card sent and we will notify your honoree with the St Jude logo card.

Your gift will be cherished by Dad and by the children of St. Jude. 

AWESOME Patients of the Month!!!!

Abigail Perez
5 years old

Diagnosis:

Abigail was found to suffer from acute myeloid leukemia in 2007.

Abigail's Story:

Little Abigail had always been the picture of health, but one day during a family vacation, one of her eyes began to bulge. Concerned, her parents, Marcelle and Billy, took her for an examination at their local hospital. On July 16, 2007, the family learned Abigail suffered from acute myeloid leukemia. Doctors gave her a 50 percent chance of survival.

Hurricane Katrina had wreaked havoc on the hospital in their hometown. Garbage collected in the hallways. No one came to remove the food trays from Abigail’s room, and ants moved in. “We went into survival mode,” Marcelle said. Abigail’s parents wanted a research hospital to provide cutting-edge treatment for their daughter. Their search led them to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The local doctor provided the referral, and St. Jude took care of travel arrangements.

At St. Jude:

At St. Jude, a nurse greeted the family. “Are you Abigail?” she said. “We’ve been waiting for you.” Abigail was instantly put at ease and loved the hospital. When they got into their room at Grizzlies House, Marcelle told her husband, “I think she’s going to make it.”

Abigail’s six-month treatment protocol provided five intense rounds of chemotherapy, necessitating inpatient stays. Each time before chemotherapy, she received a bone marrow aspiration and spinal tap. In addition, Abigail received a combination of intravenous and oral antibiotics to strengthen her immune system.

The battle against cancer affects the entire family. One day, Marcelle broke down on the elevator, and it was a St. Jude maintenance man who provided words of comfort. “There’s no crying today, miss,” he said. “We do miracles here, so you just dry up those tears.” It was exactly what she needed to hear. These small, random acts of kindness accentuate the treatment at St. Jude and make the difference between this and other hospitals – at least for the Perez family.

“No other hospital in the world compares,” said Marcelle. “Everyone from Dr. Ribeiro to the maintenance staff is on a mission.”

St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. “Insurance doesn’t matter here,” said Marcelle. “If she needs a test, she gets the test.” It’s a good thing too. Abigail’s treatment costs a minimum of $20,000 per month; complications increase the cost. “I really believe the treatment costs could have bankrupted us,” said Marcelle, “but what choice did we have?  Thank God there is St. Jude where parents do not have to choose between the life of their child and the huge financial burdens of skyrocketing healthcare costs.”

Marcelle says they are “evangelical about St. Jude” and calls it the “Disney World of hospitals.” She appreciates so many things about the hospital, from their lodging at Target House, where every need is anticipated, to the hospital’s school program.

Abigail now tests negative for leukemic cells. She’s done with chemotherapy and returns to the hospital every four months for follow-up. She’s an active girl who loves swimming, riding her bike and watching shows like Dora the Explorer, Wonder Pets and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

June 2008

May 2008

Clay Trysla
1 year old

Diagnosis:

Clay was found to suffer from primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) in September 2007.

Clay's Story:

Kristin and Patrick describe their precious 1-year-old son as a typical Gerber^® baby – healthy, happy and alert. His sisters adore him and, like any boy, he’s into everything. But in September 2007, Clay’s mom became worried when her baby's cheerful demeanor suddenly disappeared.

The little boy became fussy and began sleeping up to 12 hours at a time. Then his left arm went limp and his mother immediately took Clay to the pediatrician. The doctor dismissed her concerns as nothing more than nursemaid’s elbow. In spite of her uneasy feelings, Clay's mom took him home. But less than 24 hours later, Clay began throwing up. This time, his parents took him to an emergency room where they learned the devastating news that Clay had an aggressive tumor on his brain. Doctors operated immediately and were able to remove the tumor. But follow-up care was needed. Knowing that their baby's survival depended on getting the best possible care, the family researched their options. They found St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Clay's mom prayed for a sign that this was the right place for their baby. The sign she prayed for came the next day, when a friend unexpectedly showed up on the family's doorstep with a St. Jude medallion that had been given to her. Her friend had felt compelled to bring the medallion to the Tryslas. Kristin told her husband, "We need to be at St. Jude. That's where we are supposed to go."

At St. Jude:

Clay had an MRI as soon as the family arrived at St. Jude. Clay's parents were very distressed to find out that the scan showed the tumor had grown back quickly and was larger than it had been before his first surgery at the local hospital. St. Jude doctors determined Clay needed a second surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Within six hours of his surgery at St. Jude, Clay was sitting up, smiling and eating. Clay began chemotherapy, followed by 30 radiation treatments. Clay also received physical and occupational therapy several times a week. He is home now and undergoing six months of oral chemotherapy.

Kristin believes coming to St. Jude saved her son’s life, and she is thankful for the donors who help support St. Jude. “Clay is a miracle,” Kristin said. “I can’t thank the donors enough because St. Jude is a huge part of this miracle. If we hadn’t come here, we wouldn’t have him today.”

Clay is once again the very picture of a Gerber baby – pink cheeked and bright-eyed. He likes to play with his sisters and watch the fish swim in the aquariums at St. Jude.

May 2008

Asia Franklin
9 years old

Diagnosis:

Asia was found to suffer from acute lymphoblastic leukemia in October 2006.

Asia's Story:

Asia has always been the type of child who doesn’t focus on the future. Instead, she relishes each day as it comes. Like most little girls, she loves to color and play with her dolls. But when she was just 7 years old, Asia began developing a set of alarming symptoms that had her family worried whether she’d have a future at all.

Asia’s nose began to bleed, followed by leg pain and fevers. Then, she lost her appetite. As the number of symptoms grew, her mother, Ramona, began to suspect something was very wrong. A trip to the local children’s hospital provided the worried family with a diagnosis, but no relief: Asia suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer. As soon as the diagnosis was made, Asia’s doctors referred her to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

At St. Jude:

Asia immediately started a two-and-a-half-year treatment protocol for ALL. She comes to St. Jude once a week for chemotherapy and is expected to finish her treatment in early 2009. Although Asia’s family was overwhelmed with her diagnosis, they were relieved to learn that the survival rate for ALL is high. When St. Jude opened in 1962, the survival rate was 4 percent. Today, it is 94 percent. “Initially I was in shock,” Ramona said of learning Asia’s diagnosis. “But now I don’t worry quite so much, I don’t shed quite so many tears.”

St. Jude has provided the family with peace. “From the day we arrived, it felt like home,” Ramona said. She is very grateful for the hospital’s generous supporters, whose donations help provide her daughter’s treatment and care, as well as housing, transportation and food. Not having to worry about such things has been a huge relief for the family.

Much to her family’s delight, Asia continues to thrive. She is in third grade and loves to sing and dance. “It’s been a wonderful experience,” Ramona said. “We’ve never lost hope.” For Asia, a bright-eyed girl who loves to live for today, St. Jude is helping to ensure her future.

April 2008

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