
Cancer-survivor Scott Mills, who ran across the state of Iowa to raise money for St. Jude.
A cancer survivor runs across Iowa to raise money for St. Jude.
When Scott Mills resolved to fulfill a dream of running across his home state of Iowa, he thought his quest could benefit St. Jude. He called his journey Run it Forward.
Through social media, reaching out to personal contacts, and selling Run it Forward T-shirts, Mills, who lives in Des Moines, Iowa, raised more than $11,000 for St. Jude.
The married father of three won his own battle with cancer in November 2014. “It’s one thing for an old guy like me to have cancer. But I cannot imagine if it was one of my kids who was diagnosed,” Mills, 44, said of his reason for choosing to support St. Jude.
Since no family receives a bill from St. Jude, Mills was also inspired by the way the hospital alleviates financial concerns from parents worried about their child’s life.
Mills' run took 10 days in August 2015, and covered 271 miles. A friend, Steve Buser, trailed Mills on a bicycle for support.
Three days in, Mills adjusted his routine; making sure to be on the road before 6 a.m., walking up to five miles to loosen his legs, and completing runs by noon. Once he adopted this strategy, Mills chuckled when he called the final seven days “easy.”
The trek across Iowa to help St. Jude was part of a resolve Mills had to “do something ultra.” He was training for a 100-mile ultra-marathon when he found the lump that led to his cancer diagnosis. He abandoned the 100-mile race, but he completed the regular marathon the event offered. Since he began running at age 12, Mills has completed 30 marathons, and estimates he has run half a million miles.
“Make every day count,” he said. “Have fun. Find out what you are passionate about, and just do it. Don’t make excuses about it.”
Inspired by Scott Mills' story? Set your 2016 resolution goal with St. Jude.
You, too, can help St. Jude kids.
Read more inspiring stories
-
St. Jude celebrates Mother’s Day with inspirational stories
St. Jude employees take pride in their work and many times, they inspire family members to join the mission. This Mother’s Day, we highlight a few family members who have followed in their mothers’ footsteps.
-
Mentorship is a Two-Way Street
In observance of Women's History Month, Andrea Stubbs discusses the importance of mentorship and support throughout her career.
-
Austin Springer, PhD, receives highest employee honor for pandemic response efforts
For pandemic response efforts in 2021, Human Resources employee receives highest honor bestowed upon St. Jude employees.
-
Why did I get the COVID-19 vaccine? Two St. Jude families share their stories
Two St. Jude families share their reasons for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
-
Puggle, Huckleberry to depart soon; doggy duo has changed the patient experience
The facility dogs who laid the groundwork for the hospital’s facility dog program are departing soon. Read how they changed the patient experience.
-
Face masks are business as usual at St. Jude
Learn how staff members, patients and families have been wearing masks correctly for decades to protect children and prevent infection.
-
Meet Carl
At 3 years old, Carl had leg pain and his belly began to swell. He had a cancerous tumor above a kidney. He was referred to St. Jude where he received treatment.
-
Meet Ay'Den
Ay'Den is a kind boy with an easy smile. When he collapsed, his family was afraid he had COVID-19. Ay'Den would be diagnosed with leukemia and referred to St. Jude.
-
Meet Rosalie: Facility dog to provide employee support
Learn how Rosalie, a golden retriever facility dog, will help support employee resilience.
-
Meet Myla
Myla’s mom found that her little girl wasn’t feeling well. Rushed to St. Jude, four-year-old Myla was diagnosed with a blood cancer called acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.
-
Meet Brayden
Brayden received chemotherapy as well as proton therapy for medulloblastoma at the first proton therapy center in the world dedicated solely to children.
-
Meet Eli
At just 6 years old, Eli was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. His family was referred to St. Jude for his treatment and Eli underwent surgery to remove the tumor and a portion of his tibia.
-
COVID-19 vaccines not linked to infertility
Virtually all research outcomes have discredited infertility concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more.
-
The science behind COVID-19 vaccines
It may seem like the COVID-19 vaccine moved quickly to emergency use authorization and approval, but in reality, researchers used years of data, research and advances to fast-track the lifesaving vaccines. Read about it.
-
Whether you've had the virus or not, COVID-19 vaccination boosts your immune response and offers the best line of protection
A positive test does not equal protection against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated after COVID-19 will boost your immune response and protect you against new variants of the virus. Learn more