Meet St. Jude patient Elizabeth


Patient Elizabeth

A month before Elizabeth was born, her parents, Mary and Terry, learned heartbreaking news from their obstetrician: An ultrasound had revealed that their baby was seriously underdeveloped. Her chances of living past 10 months were slim to none. "It was devastating," Mary recalls. "Our other four children were perfectly normal. All we could ask was ‘why?’"

Two doctors and a pediatrician assisted with Elizabeth’s birth in June 1998. Her legs, ribs, collar bones and right arm were broken. Elizabeth’s condition was diagnosed as type III osteogenesis imperfecta, known as brittle bone disease. Right away, she was placed on a drug regimen to manage pain and prevent seizures. Mary and Terry began to search for effective treatment options. This search led them to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ®, where doctors were treating the symptoms of brittle bone disease with bone marrow transplants. It was the first glimpse of hope Mary and Terry found for their youngest daughter.

At just a year old, Elizabeth received a bone marrow transplant and started follow-up therapy. In 2004, she underwent a stem cell infusion. Since then, Elizabeth has made steady progress. "The treatment and attention each St. Jude patient receives is phenomenal," her mother says. Elizabeth is still undergoing treatment, receiving stem cell infusions every four months and follow ups from her bone marrow transplant.

Over the past few years, Elizabeth has gradually moved away from using her wheelchair and walker. She has not used her walker since Christmas 2007. Additionally, she’s also grown in height, which is unusual for someone with type III osteogenesis imperfecta.

An avid nature lover, Elizabeth likes to collect rocks, leaves and flowers during family walks.


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