Meet Avyan

Avyan is something of an old soul. Though he is introverted and quiet, he carries himself with a confidence and a strength well beyond his years. His maturity and optimism have given fortitude to his family as they walk through the unimaginable.

St. Jude patient Avyan with his parents

It started with a stomachache and vomiting. What first seemed like a simple childhood virus began to worry Avyan’s parents when it wasn’t resolving. They brought Avyan in to see his local pediatrician who ordered testing, including a scan of his brain.

Neither Avyan nor his parents were expecting what came next ... they were told he had a cancerous tumor in his brain.

Thankfully, Avyan and his family were referred to St. Jude, where doctors placed him on a treatment plan that included chemotherapy and a special radiation therapy.

Families, like Avyan's, never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

St. Jude is the place where my child’s life was saved. It’s like a holy place to me. I take pride in saying my child was treated at St. Jude. There is no place like St. Jude.

—Divya, Avyan's mom