For several months in late 2015, Marleigh experienced headaches that got increasingly worse. Her mom, Tanekka, was worried, but repeated trips to the doctor and the emergency room revealed nothing.
Then, in early December, Marleigh was found to suffer from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. Tanekka was devastated. In 2005, she had battled cervical cancer, followed by a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013.
She knew firsthand what her daughter was facing.
At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Marleigh started chemotherapy immediately and her cancer is now in remission. Her treatment will last two-and-a-half years.
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.
Soon after arriving at St. Jude, Tanekka knew she was at the best place possible for her daughter’s treatment and care. “St. Jude is the best hospital in the world,” said Tanekka. “We love our team of doctors. We can never repay them for what they’re doing for our daughter.”
Marleigh’s favorite thing about St. Jude is her Child Life specialist, who has helped her understand what she’s going through.
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.
Marleigh understands the need to help other children through her diagnosis. Her strength is abundant. This is only part of her journey.
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Marleigh'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
-
Meet Ashley
When tests revealed Ashley suffered from blood cancer, her parents were devastated. “Your whole world comes crashing down on you,” said Ashley’s dad.
-
Meet Maddalynn and Maziya
Sharing the same diagnosis of sickle cell disease as her little sister, Maddalynn, Maziya and her family were better able to help Maddalynn with her treatment.
-
Meet Dakota
It's hard to keep patient Dakota away from the kitchen, and thanks to the Nutriolicious cooking classes at St. Jude, he doesn't have to be away for long.
-
Meet Max
When Max's parents became Partners In Hope, they never would have guessed that they would be supporting their own son, who's undergoing treatment for anaplastic ependymoma.
-
Meet Jason
Former patient Jason now works at St. Jude and goes the extra mile with the St. Jude Ride.
-
Meet Mason
Mason and his dad, Matt, love to go fishing together. But when Mason became sick with cancer, it was hard to imagine they’d ever have moments like that again.
-
Meet Anna
Patient Anna wasn't able to celebrate her 16th birthday at home. Instead, a group of friends from her hometown made the journey to St. Jude, making her birthday a sweet success.
-
Meet Kaitlyn and Khirsten
For sickle cell patients like Khirsten and Kaitlyn, the transition from pediatric care to adult care will be critical to their survival. St. Jude is working to help them learn to manage their disease as they get older.
-
Meet the dads of St. Jude
Marcus, Ricardo and Gustavo never thought that they would arrive in Memphis, Tenn. (where St. Jude is located) to care for their sick children. But they've found a second home at the hospital that has worked to save their children's' lives.
-
Meet Amir
Though Amir has only known sickle cell disease and St. Jude since he was born, he's at a hospital that has been pioneering the treatment of the disease for more than 50 years.
-
Meet Dawson
Dawson is a strong, athletic kid. On Super Bowl Sunday in 2016, his parents received news that would change their lives — Dawson had cancer.
-
Meet Seth and Reese
Seth and Reese met at St. Jude while being treated for the same type of cancer. They instantly became close friends.
-
Meet Griffin
Griffin likes to play baseball and basketball with his twin brother, Graham, and their older siblings. But things weren’t all fun and games when Griffin’s family found out he had a rare type of cancer. They quickly turned to St. Jude for help.
-
Gideon is home for the holidays
Two-year-old Gideon will celebrate the holidays at home for the first time, after spending two Christmases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for treatment of stage 4, high-risk neuroblastoma.
-
Meet Connor
Just before New Year's Eve 2016, Connor and his family received news that would change the tune of his life. At St. Jude, Connor's love of music is helping carry him through treatment for a brain tumor called germinoma.
