Meghan had always dreamed of a big family, but to date, she is the mother of just one: her precious daughter, June.
June is everything a parent could ask for: beautiful, joyful and healthy. But in early 2018, she started having virus-like symptoms, and she didn’t want to be lifted due to pain under her arms.
June’s parents took her to the doctor three times the week before she was admitted to the local hospital and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, blood cancer.
You never think you’re going to be a 'cancer mom,' but it happens in an instant. It can happen to anybody. Cancer doesn’t discriminate.
They were transported to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by ambulance within hours of diagnosis. “I didn’t even pack a bag,” said Meghan. “I was scared to leave her.”
In the ambulance, Meghan used social media to let people know where they were and why.
Messages of support began flooding in immediately, including one from a woman who became Meghan’s lifeline during the fearful trip: the mother of a St. Jude patient who had survived the very disease June had just been diagnosed with.
“I don’t know what it was about her message, it just hit me,” said Meghan. “I talked to her the whole way here. She told me what to expect and told me about St. Jude. She made me feel that I was going to the right place.”
St. Jude became a ray of hope for the family before they even arrived. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
June is a go-with-the-flow little girl, but cancer treatment brings upheavals and requires adjustments.
“This was a crash course in medicine for her,” said Meghan. “Now it’s just part of her life. She is now obsessed with ‘doctor stuff.’ She wants to give her baby dolls ‘shots’ all the time. I recently had blood work done, and she begged me to video it so that she could witness it. I’m hoping this means she has a future in medicine!”
Meet more patients
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Meet Jean Pierre
At 18, Jean Pierre is headed to university. At three years old, he was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for craniopharyngioma, a slow-growing brain tumor.
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Meet Ava
Five-year-old Ava had a cancerous brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Referred to St. Jude, she underwent a second surgery, proton therapy and chemotherapy.
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Meet Sariyah
In the summer of 2020, photos taken of St. Jude patient Sariyah by her mother showed signs of cancerous tumors in both eyes at the age of 18 months.
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Meet Patient Lucas
Around Thanksgiving of 2020, three-year-old Lucas was complaining of headaches. His parents thought he just wanted attention. An MRI indicated something more serious.
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Meet Eri'Elle
Eri’Elle was just two years old when her troubles started. Her mother took her to a pediatrician and insisted they run tests to get to the bottom of her baby’s symptoms.
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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.
As of October 2018, June is still early in the 120 weeks of chemotherapy she will undergo, but already, she is able to receive much of her care outpatient, through the St. Jude affiliate clinic near her home.
This is a big deal, because it means she can live at home and be close to her toys and her dog, “Kitty Bird.”
She returns frequently to St. Jude for appointments, however, and gets so excited about staying in St. Jude housing and seeing her doctor.
Despite cancer, June is still June: chatty, cheerful, busy. “She’s full of fun, happy all the time,” said Meghan. “She’s just enjoying being a kid.”
Help families, like June's, focus on what matters most.
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for anything, because all they should worry about is helping their child live.