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.
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Meet Abraham
After a CT scan revealed Abraham had a mass on his brain, identified as a cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma, his family turned to St. Jude for help.
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Meet Mia
Mia is a friendly, caring child who was referred to St. Jude from her home country of Nicaragua when she was 5 years old. She was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a malignant tumor in her brain.
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Meet St. Jude Patient Farouk
Farouk was a healthy baby, but something seemed wrong with his eyes. His parents, Hussam and Linda, were Syrian refugees living in Jordan when they learned Farouk had a type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma.
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Meet patient Lillian (Lily)
Lillian (Lily) and her sister, Emmy, are inseparable, and always on the move. St. Jude is keeping them that way.
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Meet Marina
Marina is a joyful 2-year-old who loves to laugh and dance with her siblings. She was referred to St. Jude after a white glimmer in her pupil led to her being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, an eye cancer.
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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.
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Meet Ashtyn
When Ashtyn’s family learned she had a type of cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma, they turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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Meet Maelin-Kate
Maelin-Kate was diagnosed with a rare blood disease at age 5, but her mom says, "Every day, she finds a reason why it's the best day ever."
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Meet Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn first came to St. Jude at just over a year old when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. Despite all she’s been through, her smile shines bright.
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Meet Eleanor
Eleanor is a determined baby who arrived at St. Jude on her first birthday. She was diagnosed with down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
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Meet Josiah
Merri and Stephen's son, Josiah, was 6 months old when he was found to have a brain tumor. After learning about the hospital, Merri wanted to help other parents in need.
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Meet Josiah | age 4
Josiah has been through a lot in his young life and continues to face more challenges than most. But this happy little boy has no shortage of joy.
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Meet Dakota
It's hard to keep patient Dakota away from the kitchen, and thanks to the Nutriolicious cooking classes at St. Jude, he doesn't have to be away for long.
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Reid's big day on the green
This year, St. Jude patient Reid, who was treated for a cancerous tumor, was selected to have a FedEx plane named after him at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational®.
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Halloween Traditions for Family Fun
Halloween is a fun time of year for kids, whether they’re carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating or telling stories about ghouls and ghosts. See how St. Jude patients celebrated at home and at the hospital during 2019.