When Alex was just 3 years old, tests revealed he suffered from neuroblastoma, a type of solid tumor. The family traveled to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where Alex underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“St. Jude gave us hope,” said his mom, Cristina.
In January of 2016, when he was 8 years old, Alex’s cancer returned. The family came back to St. Jude, where his treatment will include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant.
“St. Jude has been a tremendous blessing for us,” Cristina explained.
Treatments invented 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 has given my son a second chance at life.
You might also be interested in:
-
Meet Griffin
As an Air Force family stationed abroad, Griffin’s family was living in Germany when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Veteran’s Day 2019.
-
Meet Claire
Claire is an adventurous girl from Utah who loves spending time outside with her siblings. And the cancerous brain tumor she's being treated for won't get in the way of that, with the help of St. Jude.
-
Meet Lydia
Lydia has an unusual hobby for a kid her age: reading scholarly articles in medical journals. But not just any articles. She’s interested in those authored by Dr. Gajjar, the man – along with nurses and researchers and others at St. Jude – working to save her life.
-
Meet Scarlet
At St. Jude, Scarlet and her mom lived at Target House for half a year while Scarlet was in treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Her family never received a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. .
-
Meet Calvin
At St. Jude, Calvin underwent chemotherapy, proton therapy and radiation treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue. He continues to receive treatment at St. Jude, having experienced a recurrence of cancer in 2020.
-
Meet Twila
Twila was brought to her local hospital for an ear infection. When the pain didn’t resolve, doctors ran tests and found brain cancer. She was referred to St. Jude and placed on a treatment plan.
-
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 Eri'Elle
Eri’Elle was just two years old when her troubles started. Her mother took her to a pediatrician and insisted they run tests to get to the bottom of her baby’s symptoms.
-
Meet Krew
What started out as a seemingly innocent bump on the head was later heartbreakingly revealed as cancer. Krew was diagnosed with leukemia at just 7 months old.
-
Meet Sariyah
In the summer of 2020, photos taken of St. Jude patient Sariyah by her mother showed signs of cancerous tumors in both eyes at the age of 18 months.
-
Meet Ava
Five-year-old Ava had a cancerous brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Referred to St. Jude, she underwent a second surgery, proton therapy and chemotherapy.
-
Meet Tina
Tina celebrates her quinceañera and a second chance at life after finishing her treatment for a brain tumor. During treatment, her family found hope at St. Jude.
-
Meet Jean Pierre
At 18, Jean Pierre is headed to university. At three years old, he was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for craniopharyngioma, a slow-growing brain tumor.
-
Meet Patient Lucas
Around Thanksgiving of 2020, three-year-old Lucas was complaining of headaches. His parents thought he just wanted attention. An MRI indicated something more serious.
-
Meet Patient Mikayla
Over Christmas 2020, something was wrong with then one-year-old Mikayla. Referred to St. Jude, her cancer was identified as acute myeloid leukemia. Mikayla successfully underwent chemotherapy.