From Jamaica to St. Jude: Collaborative Care for Wilms Tumor

Braelynn is like most children her age. The energetic 5-year-old from Jamaica hates vegetables and loves fruit. She likes robots, cartoons, and meeting new people.  

“She’s very energetic,” says Tamika, Braelynn’s mom. “Very friendly. She will just walk up to anybody and be like, ‘Hi, I'm Braelynn. What's your name?’” 

But things changed last summer when Braelynn was playing with a friend. The two were running together when her friend stopped quickly, catching Braelynn’s right side with her elbow. 

“She started complaining of pain,” Tamika says. “I took her to the doctor, and they said she was fine. They gave her medication, and the pain stopped.” 

But in October, the pain came back. And this time, it was severe.  

Her parents took her to a different doctor who thought Braelynn needed to have her appendix removed.  

“They did the ultrasound first,” Tamika says. “They were prepared to do the surgery to remove the appendix, and then they saw a mass.” 

Doctors suspected Wilms tumor, a kidney cancer that mostly affects young children. Because of the seriousness of Braelynn’s condition, the medical team in Jamaica reached out to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

An international referral

Patients around the world are referred to St. Jude daily for care and treatment.

“We get several international referrals per week for solid tumors,” says oncologist Sara Helmig, MD. “Once we determine the patient's going to be accepted, then the care team is assigned.”

As soon as Braelynn and Tamika arrived at St. Jude, Braelynn’s care team did imaging tests to confirm her diagnosis.

“She had advanced Wilms tumor that would require a large operation,” Helmig says. 

Braelynn was enrolled in SJWT21, a clinical trial for patients with Wilms tumor, and her treatment began. 

Care and treatment

Braelynn’s tumor was attached to her right kidney. Andrew Davidoff, MD, St. Jude Surgery chair, removed her tumor and kidney. 

Braelynn also received chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

“She's done well with therapy,” Helmig says. “She had a great response to the first part of her treatment, and she has just recently finished her radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Now she'll complete chemotherapy.” 

Braelynn and her mom hope to go home in August.

Part of a team

For Tamika, getting to St. Jude meant finding a place where her daughter would get the best care possible. She says she is grateful that St. Jude includes her in her daughter’s care. Every step of the way, Braelynn’s care team has answered Tamika’s questions and helped address her fears. Yulia Miller, a cultural navigator in St. Jude Social Work, helped Tamika adjust to a new country. Child Life specialists have helped Braelynn feel comfortable and safe.

For families facing the unknown, St. Jude offers expertise, compassion, and the comfort of never facing cancer alone.

“Pediatric cancer care has made great strides in the last several decades,” Helmig says. “St. Jude has worked across the United States and also globally to help with those results. Families interested in being treated at St. Jude should work with their care teams to reach out.”