What began with a first dance at the St. Jude Teen Formal led to a first dance as husband and wife.
Thinking back on this journey, Lauren said, “For me, it is the Cinderella tale of how she goes to the ball and meets her Prince Charming, and they live happily ever after. Well, I did go to the dance, and I did meet my Prince Charming and getting to be with Chet is my happily ever after.”
But Lauren’s fairy-tale ending began with the worst day of her life. At 13 years old, she learned she had cancerous tumors in her neck, chest and leg. She was immediately referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where her treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma included chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Lauren’s treatment went well, and at 15, her cancer was in remission, her hair had grown back, and she was excited to attend the St. Jude Teen Formal, an annual dance on the hospital campus coordinated by the St. Jude Child Life Program.
It was there she met Chet, a boy her age who was being monitored by St. Jude for two blood disorders — severe aplastic anemia and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
St. Jude was literally a lifesaver to me. It taught me that you’re not promised tomorrow, so I try to live every day to the fullest. And if it wasn’t for St. Jude, I wouldn’t have met my fiancé.
That first dance led to a long-distance dating relationship of several years and then a proposal in December 2015.
“I knew I wanted to marry Lauren. Having similar experiences with St. Jude has really grown our relationship,” said Chet.
“St. Jude means the world to me,” added Lauren, “because of what they have done for me — not just on the physical level, but on a spiritual level and emotional level too. St. Jude was literally a lifesaver to me. It taught me that you’re not promised tomorrow, so I try to live every day to the fullest. And if it wasn’t for St. Jude, I wouldn’t have met my fiancé.”
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Our purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.®
Chet and Lauren married on New Year’s Eve, to begin 2017 as husband and wife. Both intend to pursue careers in healthcare.
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means 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.
Meet more patients
-
Meet Jamelia
At 4 years old, Jamelia felt bad and saw blood in her urine. Diagnosed with renal cell cancer, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment including proton therapy.
-
Meet patient Jacob
Jacob had frequent headaches and wasn’t himself. Diagnosed with leukemia, he was referred to St. Jude for treatment including chemotherapy to try and save his life.
-
Meet Levi
Levi was found to have acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and was quickly referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where he began chemotherapy.
-
Meet Alfredo
It started when Alfredo had unexplained bruises and a constant fever. A local doctor who called for bloodwork and results confirmed that he had leukemia.
-
Meet Luna
When St. Jude patient Luna started to feel sick, her parents became concerned. Doctors in Guatemala confirmed what her parents had feared, Luna had leukemia.
-
Meet Griffin
As an Air Force family stationed abroad, Griffin’s family was living in Germany when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Veteran’s Day 2019.
-
Meet Krew
What started out as a seemingly innocent bump on the head was later heartbreakingly revealed as cancer. Krew was diagnosed with leukemia at just 7 months old.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Meet Scarlet
At St. Jude, Scarlet and her mom lived at Target House for half a year while Scarlet was in treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Her family never received a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. .
-
Meet Gabe
When the lights on the Christmas tree hurt Gabe’s eyes, his mom knew something was wrong.
-
Meet Calvin
At St. Jude, Calvin underwent chemotherapy, proton therapy and radiation treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue. He continues to receive treatment at St. Jude, having experienced a recurrence of cancer in 2020.