Jazzy is the youngest of three and the only girl. She’s the apple of her family’s eye. Before she was diagnosed with cancer, Jazzy was a blur of motion, always running and jumping and playing.
“She loves the trampoline and playing dodgeball with her cousins,” said her mom, Mykel. “And she loves going to the beach with her dogs.”
St. Jude patient Jazzy with her mom, Mykel
In late 2018, Jazzy started to throw up and began to lose her balance. Her parents took her to the pediatrician, who sent Jazzy for an MRI.
“When the doctor told us there was a mass on her brain, that Jazzy had cancer, we felt like the rug was pulled out from under us,” Mykel said. “It was devastating.”
Families 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.
At St. Jude, Jazzy’s treatment included 30 rounds of proton therapy and four rounds of chemotherapy.
“At St. Jude, we hit the ground running. We love Jazzy’s nurses and the staff here. Her doctor is brilliant,” Mykel said.
Jazzy painting at a St. Jude art party.
Jazzy loves school and her favorite subject is math. She enjoys making crafts and slime, and she likes to dance and read. Jazzy is now finished with treatment and returns to St. Jude for regular checkups.
“They made everything worry-free, so we could just focus on Jazzy.”
Meet more patients
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Meet Patient Mikayla
Over Christmas 2020, something was wrong with then one-year-old Mikayla. Referred to St. Jude, her cancer was identified as acute myeloid leukemia. Mikayla successfully underwent chemotherapy.
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Meet Weiming
Weiming was diagnosed with a rare disease, an immunodeficiency known as bubble boy disease and came to St. Jude at just four months from his home country of China.
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Meet Twila
Twila was brought to her local hospital for an ear infection. When the pain didn’t resolve, doctors ran tests and found brain cancer. She was referred to St. Jude and placed on a treatment plan.
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Meet Avyan
Avyan carries himself with confidence and strength beyond his years. His manner has given fortitude to his family as they walk through an unimaginable reality.
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Meet Jose
After he was born, José stopped eating and lost much weight. A local doctor confirmed he had brain cancer. Surgery was performed to remove a brain mass and he was referred to St. Jude.
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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 Max
Max traveled from China, with the Illinois couple who adopted him, to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital where he and his family received lifesaving treatment and comforting support in equal measure.
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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.