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 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.
-
Meet Monk
A diagnosis of bone cancer and the amputation of Monk's left foot changed his life forever, but he wasn't about to let it dampen his spirits or slow him down.
-
Meet Mary Browder
When Mary Browder was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, her family never believed she would get back to a normal life. Today, her diagnosis is just one part of her story.
-
Meet Charley
Charley led her college fundraising team for St. Jude just months before she became a patient there herself.
-
Meet Easton
When patient Easton and his family learned of his diagnosis of metastatic cancer when he was fifteen months old, they had little to hope for by way of a cure.
-
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 Pepe
Sonia never expected her family would need St. Jude. But in the past two years, she has experienced St. Jude as both a mother and a grandmother.
-
Meet Londyn
When Londyn’s parents, Anthony and Kascie, learned she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, they turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for her care.
-
Meet David
David is an outgoing boy from Honduras. After he received a diagnosis of blood cancer, David was immediately referred to St. Jude.
-
Meet Riku
While treatment for medulloblastoma is a difficult journey for 4-year-old Riku, his parents, Noriko and Jun, are there to give him strength and support along the way.
-
Meet Smyrna
Smyrna is a teenager who has plenty of hobbies. Even with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma, she's determined to continue the active life she leads.
-
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 Kenlie
Over the last eight years of her life, St. Jude patient Kenlie underwent treatment for synovial sarcoma, and remained anything but discouraged.
-
Swimming toward hope
To be the best swimmer she can be today, Katherine has had to regain physical strength after cancer treatment - and reach a new level of mental toughness.
-
Meet Stella
Stella is a sweet little girl who loves to do arts and crafts, play with her baby dolls and spend time with her little sister.
