The Power of Positivity and Connection

Radiology technologist Ted VanAusdall has a natural, effortless way of lifting the spirits of patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His gift is hard-won. As a former St. Jude patient, VanAusdall understands what many patients go through. He also knows the healing power of staying positive, making connections, and using humor during treatment. 

Rolling with it 

VanAusdall was an active 16-year-old in Missouri when he began experiencing GI symptoms and weight loss. His doctor ordered a CT (computed tomography) scan, which revealed ependymoma, a rare brain tumor. After surgery to remove the tumor, he went to St. Jude for treatment. 

As a teen in a children’s hospital, VanAusdall felt a little different at first. 

“I remember trying to navigate the hospital with a full beard and trying to fit in,” he says. “I was waiting for an appointment, and a little patient asked me if I was someone’s dad. I said no, told him I was a patient too, showed him my wristband, and we started talking.” 

While waiting for radiation therapy, VanAusdall met many other patients, including other teens. He even got an invitation to go to a prom in Louisiana. 

VanAusdall kept moving forward, keeping to a more normal routine, even when tired from radiation treatments. He did physical therapy and did things he loved, even traveling home to attend football practices. This positive attitude carried him through.  

He tries to share that outlook with the patients he now treats. 

“It’s OK to allow yourself to have some bad days,” VanAusdall says. “It’s OK to do some self-reflection if you need to, but always see the light at the end of the tunnel. Take one day at a time, do your best to make it to the next day, and stay positive.” 

The power of friendship 

Throughout treatment, VanAusdall stuck close to his friends, who shaved their heads for him, even when he had not yet lost his hair. 

Around that time, he was given the chance to make a special wish. Instead of choosing a trip or another big experience, he asked for a small building where he could spend time with his friends. They called it “The Ted Shed.” It had a satellite TV and couches—a teen-dream hangout.

VanAusdall knows that a cancer diagnosis can be especially hard for teens. They are already dealing with many changes in their lives, with family, and with friends. This can make an already difficult stage of life even harder.

“The one piece of advice I would have given to myself, and to other teens, would be to be nicer to your parents,” VanAusdall says. “Even now, I’ll still call my mom and dad after work and apologize for the times I was mean.”

Getting inspired

When VanAusdall came to St. Jude for an MRI, he was drawn to the technology and to the Radiology staff who cared for him. That’s when the seed of working in radiology was planted. 

He worked as a CT technologist for 10 years in Memphis, Nashville, and Kentucky. Recently, his path led him back to St. Jude, where he works as a CT technologist.

“From my first experience here, I thought the staff was amazing, helpful, and understanding. Being a part of that now is awesome,” VanAusdall says.

He loves helping patients at various stages of treatment, interacting with their families, and applying his imaging knowledge and experience to help them.

“There’s a sense of security and comfort,” VanAusdall says. “Whether it’s putting on a patient’s favorite show for their scans, cracking jokes, or talking about what’s on their T-shirt or sports hat, finding a common bond helps. I’m taking their mind off it for a bit, helping them bond and feel comfortable with the staff.”

Some of the staff who cared for VanAusdall as a patient still work there today. Those relationships showed him how important connections are for lifting a person’s spirits.

“Be open to connecting with your patient—you can make a difference in their day,” VanAusdall says.

Helping patients feel more comfortable has become part of his mission.

“I take them out of what they’re feeling and experiencing; I bring them into the moment by cracking a smile or getting them to laugh a little,” he says.