Skip to main content

Meet Cohen

 

age 7, soft tissue cancer

 


 

 
 

For a period of time leading up to July 2018, no one knew it, but Cohen had a tumor the size of a lime behind his nose, branching into his jaw and around his brain stem. His symptoms were largely run of the mill – sniffles, tooth pain; but then one of his eyes turned inward, and his family sought further medical attention.

Cohen had been from doctor to doctor, including the dentist; he was on antibiotics and even had a tooth pulled. Now, with the onset of this new symptom, his mom, Amber, decided to give the eye doctor a try.

St. Jude patient Cohen

The eye doctor sent them straight to the local children’s hospital.

Scans and a biopsy showed Cohen had a type of soft tissue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. With this news, Cohen stopped being a kid who had a tumor that no one knew about; within a few weeks, chemotherapy would take his hair, and everyone would know at a glance that he had cancer.

Cohen’s tumor had likely been growing a long time, and it was inoperable due to its location. Right away, he was referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy and proton therapy.

St. Jude staff have made big imprints on his time here,” said Amber. “They have always gone above and beyond for him. And there is no service that a child needs that can't be covered here. There's nothing that he'll need during his care that I can't come here to be taken care of.”

 
 
St. Jude patient Cohen with chef
 
St. Jude patient Cohen with his mom
 
St. Jude patient Cohen outside the Kay Kafe
 
St. Jude patient Cohen at St. Jude
 
 

The lifesaving work of St. Jude is funded largely by donors whose generosity also ensures families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

Amber said, “If it wasn't for this place, I don't know where he would be right now. You know, I get the things in the mail, and I've donated in the past, and I know every little amount helps, but now that I understand more what's going on here, I know how important it is to support it. A lot of friends have started doing fundraisers for St. Jude, and I make sure to donate to every single one of them because it goes back to my child. It goes back to the next person's child, and it goes back to every child that walks in the doors.”

 
 

Meet more patients

 
 

“Cohen overall is doing remarkably well considering he is still in treatment,” said Amber. “We have overcome so many obstacles, and he has never let it stop him or break his spirit.” His days are busy with school, craft time, playing outside and now, a brand new family member — a puppy named “Cohen’s Second Chance.”

St. Jude patient Cohen with his puppy
 
 


 

 

St. Jude staff have made big imprints on his time here. They have always gone above and beyond for him. And there is no service that a child needs that can't be covered here.

Amber, Cohen's mom

 
 

Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.

When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Cohen'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.

Donate Monthly

 
 
Close