Jamia was a very sick 3-year-old when she arrived at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Yet she had been active and playing right up to her cancer diagnosis.
In fact, her mom only took her to the hospital because she noticed Jamia was gasping for breath while playing outside.
There, an X-ray showed a large mass in her chest. She also had tumors in her right lung, which had collapsed, and tumors up and down her spine.
The diagnosis was neuroblastoma, a type of cancer arising from nerve cells.
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.
She was referred to St. Jude right away, where chemotherapy was the first step in a long treatment plan.
Following a successful surgery, she underwent a stem cell transplant, radiation therapy and antibody therapy.
And through all these procedures and treatment, Jamia's family got to focus on what mattered most.
"They take care of everything – food, rides, where you’re going to sleep, medical bills," said Jamia's mom. "They’re going to take care of you – not just financially, but your child."
God has His hand on St. Jude. It’s a wonderful place. The only thing they want you to do is focus on your child.
And Jamia managed to bounce back from every hurdle.
Meet more patients
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The kids and families of St. Jude are grateful for your support that helps fuel the mission: Finding cures. Saving children.
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Meet Carl
At 3 years old, Carl had leg pain and his belly began to swell. He had a cancerous tumor above a kidney. He was referred to St. Jude where he received treatment.
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Meet Ay'Den
Ay'Den is a kind boy with an easy smile. When he collapsed, his family was afraid he had COVID-19. Ay'Den would be diagnosed with leukemia and referred to St. Jude.
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Meet Myla
Myla’s mom found that her little girl wasn’t feeling well. Rushed to St. Jude, four-year-old Myla was diagnosed with a blood cancer called acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.
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Meet Brayden
Brayden received chemotherapy as well as proton therapy for medulloblastoma at the first proton therapy center in the world dedicated solely to children.
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Meet Eli
At just 6 years old, Eli was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. His family was referred to St. Jude for his treatment and Eli underwent surgery to remove the tumor and a portion of his tibia.
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Meet Nova
Though Nova's eye cancer is aggressive and she is being treated for a second time, her parents know the doctors at St. Jude will stop at nothing to help their baby girl live.
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Meet Aspen
Aspen was not yet two when diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She was treated in the Philippines but six months later, the cancer was spreading so she was referred to St. Jude.
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Meet Keegan
Before age 2, Keegan was diagnosed with leukemia and her family was referred to St. Jude where doctors immediately got to work trying to save her life.
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Meet Eduardo
At 6 months old, Eduardo was referred to St. Jude where he was diagnosed with liver cancer. His treatment included surgery to remove the mass and chemotherapy.
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Meet Thiago
Thiago loves to dance to the rhythm of his dad's djembe. In 2019, he was born with bubble boy disease and was referred to St. Jude where he underwent a new gene therapy to save his life.
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Meet Aaron-James
At age 2, after being diagnosed with sickle cell disease, Aaron-James came to St. Jude where he loves talking to the nurses and doctors.
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Meet Imani
Imani was diagnosed with cancer at 5 weeks old. Her family feared the worst. But at St. Jude, there was hope for her future.
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Meet Leah
Leah is a big sister who loves dresses, shopping, singing and helping in the kitchen. In March 2019, she was referred to St. Jude for acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, which included a transplant with her mother as her donor.
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Meet Elliott
Elliott is social and loves the outdoors. He also loves St. Jude, where he's being treated for leukemia.