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.
Jamia's mom
And Jamia managed to bounce back from every hurdle.
Meet more patients
-
Thank you for supporting St. Jude in 2020
The kids and families of St. Jude are grateful for your support.
-
Meet Marina
Marina is a joyful 2-year-old who loves to laugh and dance with her siblings. She was referred to St. Jude after a white glimmer in her pupil led to her being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, an eye cancer.
-
Meet Mia
Mia is a friendly, caring child who was referred to St. Jude from her home country of Nicaragua when she was 5 years old. She was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a malignant tumor in her brain.
-
Meet Luis
Like many boys his age, Luis wanted to be a soccer player when he grew up. But then he was diagnosed with cancer. Now he wants to help kids like him.
-
Meet Eleanor
Eleanor is a determined baby who arrived at St. Jude on her first birthday. She was diagnosed with down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
-
Meet Fletcher
Fletcher is a 12-year-old boy and a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So it was a dream come true when he announced the team's pick in the NFL draft on April 23.
-
Meet Deuce
Deuce is a fun-loving kid who's undergoing treatment for a rare type of blood cancer.
-
Meet Marric
Marric and his family had specific needs going into his treatment for lymph system cancer, but they never imagined how many of them would be met and exceeded at St. Jude.
-
Pushing through hard times
Colton is a 9-year-old boy who's used to being active in every area of life. And while an aggresive form of kidney cancer might have threatened that, St. Jude was right by his side.
-
Meet Caitlyn
Being diagnosed with a brain tumor was one of the scariest experiences for Caitlyn and her family. But her fears are being eased with St. Jude by their side.
-
Meet Alana
Alana didn't let a cancer diagnosis get in the way of her dreams for the future. Neither did St. Jude.
-
Meet patient Lillian (Lily)
Lillian (Lily) and her sister, Emmy, are inseparable, and always on the move. St. Jude is keeping them that way.
-
Meet Declan
Declan and his sister are best friends. So when he had to come to St. Jude for treatment, she was there by his side every step of the way.
-
Meet Maryelle
Maryelle was diagnosed with a rare disorder that left her family with little hope.