Aamir started walking when he was 10 months old. But around his first birthday, Aamir’s parents, Ashley and Lamar, worried something was wrong when he started to cry constantly and no longer wanted to walk. When tests revealed Aamir had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, his family turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he is undergoing chemotherapy for two-and-a-half years.
Parents know their baby's cry and they can tell when something is wrong. For Aamir's parents, those initial cries led to an eventual leukemia diagnosis. The doctors at their local hospital referred Aamir to St. Jude where he is receiving treatment.
Aamir, shown here with a St. Jude nurse, loves to dance.
Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90% , and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
Aamir with his dad, Lamar.
Aamir’s cancer is in remission, and he’s responding well to treatment. “He’s fun and energetic,” said Ashley. “He loves to dance, no matter the music.” Aamir also likes to look at books and play with balls. “The treatment he’s receiving here he wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else,” Ashley said. “St. Jude is amazing.”
The treatment he’s receiving here he wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. St. Jude is amazing.
Ashley, Aamir's mom
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Aamir's, never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
Other stories that might interest you
-
Meet Jordyn
A competitive gymnast, Jordyn's aches and pains were thought to be a sports injury. Then, she was found to have blood cancer.
-
Meet Avery
Avery was diagnosed with sickle cell disease soon after birth and she received a bone marrow transplant at St. Jude in early 2023. Her donor was one of her older sisters.
-
REDIRECT: Meet Johan
Johan is a 7-year-old boy who loves sports and studying math. In January 2018, he was referred to St. Jude after a diagnostic revealed he had leukemia.
-
Meet Lucas: Patient
Lucas, who is from Chile, was 3-years old when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and was referred to St. Jude.
-
Meet Yamila
After receiving treatment at St. Jude to cure her Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Yamila prepares for her next adventure: starting college life far from her home in Puerto Rico.
-
REDIRECT: Meet Azalea
When Azalea was found to have rhabdomyosarcoma, her parents, Simone and Ricardo, traveled from Jamaica to St. Jude so Azalea would receive the best care.
-
REDIRECT: Meet Azalea
When Azalea's family learned she had soft tissue cancer, they knew they wanted the best care for her. So they traveled from Jamaica to St. Jude to begin Azalea's treatment.
-
Meet NaNa
NaNa has known cancer since she was 1 year old, but today, she has a brighter future with the help of St. Jude.
-
Meet Emily
St. Jude patient Emily and Alabama Shakes make music to cleanse the soul.
-
Meet Mayela
Mayela is an extrovert who loves to play and have fun. She recently finished treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.
-
Meet Zahaan
Zahaan is a special boy from Singapore who shows a remarkable concern for others, even in the midst of battling medulloblastoma at St. Jude.
-
Meet Shekinah
Four-year-old Shekinah is full of cheer and playfulness, even in the midst of the discovery of a brain tumor in early 2017.
-
Meet Kayla
Kayla endured two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy with grace and style. She ends it with a St. Jude tradition: the "No 'Mo Chemo" party.
-
Meet Bella
Originally from India, patient Bella was referred to St. Jude after surgery to remove a brain tumor. Today, thanks to proton therapy, she's thriving.