Amir has been a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital his whole life.
Shortly after birth, his family learned he had sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become hard and sickle-shaped, instead of soft and round.
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, such as sickle cell disease.
St. Jude patient Amir with mom, Deyona, and Director of Patient Services, Yvonne Carroll JD.
I knew about St. Jude. But I had no idea everything they do for the patients, how in-depth the care is.
Amir's treatment includes daily penicillin and hydroxyurea, and he visits St. Jude monthly for checkup appointments.
From our first sickle cell disease research grant in 1958, to pioneering the use of hydroxyurea in pediatric sickle cell disease patients, St. Jude has been committed to researching, understanding and improving standards of care for this disease since the very beginning.
Today, we are leading the Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP), which studies how sickle cell disease progresses over time, from childhood into adulthood, and how we can improve the quality of life for sickle cell disease patients while we continue to search for cures.
At St. Jude, they care about the family and the patient. That really means a lot.
Amir is an energetic, caring toddler who loves trucks and toy trolls.
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Amir'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.
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Our Patient Stories
Be inspired by stories about our patients on their journey from diagnosis to treatment of childhood cancer and other diseases treated at St. Jude.
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One family, two journeys
Raeleigh's mom brought her baby sister into the world on the same day that Raeleigh was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Meet Mary Browder
When St. Jude patient Mary Browder was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, her family never believed she would get back to a normal life. Today, her diagnosis is just one part of her story.
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Meet María Isabella
Three-year-old María Isabella and her family have made the trip from Honduras to Memphis to seek hope, along with treatment at St. Jude for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Meet Colton
Doctors discovered Colton suffered from a high grade glioma tumor in September 2015. Colton’s family turned to St. Jude for his continuing treatment.
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Meet Maverick
On NYE of 2017, Maverick went to the hospital with abnormal bloodwork. His family entered the new year facing a terrifying diagnosis: blood cancer.
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Meet Kaitlyn and Khirsten
For sickle cell patients like Khirsten and Kaitlyn, the transition from pediatric care to adult care will be critical to their survival. St. Jude is working to help them learn to manage their disease as they get older.
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Meet Gracie
Just a day after she was born, Gracie was diagnosed with infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer.
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Meet Ari'Yanna
Ari'Yanna and her mom, D'Yana, are navigating the difficult, and at times painful, journey of sickle cell disease with St. Jude by their side.
