Braxton’s mom, Nadine, says he’s a superstar. He’s always been a happy baby — even when at 6 weeks of age, his head measurement was that of a 3-and-a-half month old, owing to a very large tumor.
Braxton has always been a happy baby.
When a biopsy showed Braxton had an extremely rare brain cancer called choroid plexus carcinoma, “it was like, ‘We need to get you to St. Jude,’" recalled Nadine. So in January 2019, Braxton and Nadine made the long trip from the high desert of California to the welcoming arms of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Braxton with his mom, Nadine
At St. Jude, Nadine and Braxton found a support system far from home. She said, “Your doctors are always here for you if you need them. The nurses are always here. And other families, they're going through almost exactly what you're going through. They understand it.”
You cannot express how amazing St. Jude is. You can realize it once you get here, but you can't explain it in words.
Braxton is one of a number of St. Jude patients who have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a genetic condition that predisposes him to develop cancers. “Hearing that news made us feel lost and scared, but St. Jude has given us hope for the future,” said Nadine.
St. Jude has helped push the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% when we opened to more than 80% today. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
After his lengthy treatment at St. Jude, Braxton has returned home cancer-free. He enjoyed his first snowfall this past winter, and his parents are looking forward to many more firsts as he continues to grow.
Braxton after treatment, pictured here at 20 months old.
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Meet Misheel
Misheel was diagnosed with brain cancer and was referred to St. Jude, where she has received treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She has refused to let her illness keep her from spreading joy to others.
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Meet Janelle
When Janelle was just over a year old, her family noticed that she began to regress in her development. Medical tests revealed that Janelle had cancer.
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Meet Yazleemar
Yazleemar is an outgoing and expressive teenager. In 2012, Yazleemar was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer. St. Jude offered more than treatment to her and her family.