In March 2015, Leonay developed a fever that wouldn’t go away. Her doctor in Jamaica, where her family lives, prescribed medicine, but it had little effect. When the fever persisted, Leonay’s mother, Virginia, insisted the doctor look deeper. Tests soon revealed Leonay suffered from neuroblastoma. Soon after, Leonay and her mother arrived at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Leonay is a silly, happy girl who loves to dance, knows all the songs from Frozen and likes to pick out her outfits each morning.
At St. Jude, Leonay’s treatment included chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and an antibody treatment. Leonay thinks her doctor is a giant teddy bear and she loves her nurses. Leonay recently completed treatment and is back home in Jamaica. She visits St. Jude every three months for checkups.
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. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
"St. Jude has been our family. They make everything better."
Leonay's mom, Virginia
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Leonay's, 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
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Meet Gabby
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Meet Ethan
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Meet Esmeralda
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Meet Nova
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Meet Sofia, Ana and Sara
Sofia, Ana and Sara were destined to be friends. They came from different parts of the world to share in their fight together at St. Jude.
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Meet Luis and McKendree
McKendree and Luis found strength in their bond and joy in a shared love of music as they underwent treatment at St. Jude. Watch and share their video.
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Meet Riku
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Meet Aspen
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Meet Ellee
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Meet Ashtyn
When Ashtyn’s family learned she had a type of cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma, they turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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Meet Abraham
After a CT scan revealed Abraham had a mass on his brain, identified as a cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma, his family turned to St. Jude for help.
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Meet Kayla
Kayla endured two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy with grace and style. She ends it with a St. Jude tradition: the "No 'Mo Chemo" party.
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Meet Azalea
When Azalea was found to have rhabdomyosarcoma, her parents, Simone and Ricardo, traveled from Jamaica to St. Jude so Azalea would receive the best care.
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Meet Jordyn
A competitive gymnast, Jordyn's aches and pains were thought to be a sports injury. Then, she was found to have blood cancer.