Under the neon lights

Photography by Seth Dixon & Ann-Margaret Hedges



“Neon” was the theme April 15 as patients and siblings enjoyed a hallmark of adolescence—the spring prom. Since 2007, the Child Life Program has organized the St. Jude Teen Formal, inviting patients and their siblings, ages 13 to 19.

A number of employees from different departments worked to ensure that the event was a success for the evening’s guests inside the Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion. As the teens prepared for the big event, hospital staff members decorated the Pavilion with balloons, a photo backdrop and other prom essentials. With the stage set, patients arrived in stretch limousines and made their red-carpet entrances. Patients were greeted with corsages.

The St. Jude Teen Formal allows patients and their families to experience one of the major events in the life of a teen while away from home due to treatment.