Little Olivia started the family vacation feeling lethargic, with a low fever and a tummy ache. She rallied, but on the long car ride home her symptoms overtook her again.
“A 2-year-old that slept the whole entire road trip …” said her mom, Kacie.
Something wasn’t right. Her pediatrician did labs and the results were stunning.
“Your entire world can be shattered in the few minutes it takes for a blood test to be run,” said Kacie. “I think then, it was pure darkness. I did not see any future.”
Olivia had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. ALL is the most common form of childhood cancer, but thanks to treatments invented at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, its survival rate has increased from 4% when St. Jude opened in 1962 to 94% today.
Kacie said, “I think that by the time we got admitted to St. Jude, we were pushing midnight. It was late. But they did not waste any time. The next morning, she was being taken down to have a port put in and have spinal taps, and lumbar punctures, and all the stuff that was not anywhere in our vocabulary of common-day conversation. Now it has become as routine as wanting to watch Mickey Mouse in our home.”
Olivia (right) with her family
Cancer treatment has meant that Olivia and her twin brother, Owen, have to spend most of their days apart, and she misses out on play dates and birthday parties with cousins. But she actually enjoys coming to St. Jude.
“Her nurses have all commented on how well she handles everything, never letting out a cry and always sitting still for them to do whatever they need to do,” said Kacie. “She is the perfect daughter and the best sister, and if you ask her, she isn’t sick.”
St. Jude has helped push the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% when we opened to 80% today. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
Olivia’s parents were St. Jude supporters before her diagnosis, but even their expectations have been surpassed.
I’ve always known St. Jude is a special place, but not until we became patients did I truly understand. St. Jude means hope. St. Jude means a future for our daughter. I am eternally grateful that we have this amazing place. When people give to St. Jude they are helping to make miracles happen.
Olivia, who loves baby dolls, painted nails, pretty dresses and all things princess, will be receiving chemotherapy until 2021. Her family will owe St. Jude nothing, because families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
Meet more patients
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Meet Phenix
Phenix was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with brain cancer at just 5 months old. He continues to receive care at St. Jude.
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Meet Adi
Adi was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He is receiving treatment at St. Jude.
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Meet Samara
Samara was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Wilms tumor. Samara was able to finish treatment well.
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Meet Lizbeth
Lizbeth was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disorder of the immune system.
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Meet Madeline
Madeline was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
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Meet Kaleb
Kaleb was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes easy bruising and bleeding.
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Meet Hazel
Hazel was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a CT scan showed she had a brain tumor. It was diagnosed as medulloblastoma.
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Meet Micah
Micah was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a brain tumor was discovered during an emergency room visit prompted by persistent headaches and nausea.
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Meet Rylee
When Rylee was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment. She received chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumor. Amidst these challenges, the family found hope at St. Jude.
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Meet Alejandro
Ines and Alejandro think of their son Alejandro every day. Their active and curious boy would have been near adulthood by now. They honor his memory through their commitment to St. Jude. Read more here.
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Meet Camila
Camila was diagnosed three days before her 3rd birthday with a solid cancerous tumor of the kidney. Read her story.
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Meet Avery
Avery was diagnosed with sickle cell disease soon after birth and she received a bone marrow transplant at St. Jude in early 2023. Her donor was one of her older sisters.
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Meet Misheel
Misheel was diagnosed with brain cancer and was referred to St. Jude, where she has received treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She has refused to let her illness keep her from spreading joy to others.
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Meet Janelle
When Janelle was just over a year old, her family noticed that she began to regress in her development. Medical tests revealed that Janelle had cancer.
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Meet Yazleemar
Yazleemar is an outgoing and expressive teenager. In 2012, Yazleemar was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer. St. Jude offered more than treatment to her and her family.