In late 2015, Gideon started to fuss more than usual. His parents, Katie and Gary, assumed he was teething. When Gideon developed bruises above his eyes and a lump on his head, they became alarmed.
Tests soon revealed Gideon suffered from stage IV neuroblastoma, a type of cancerous tumor.
St. Jude patient Gideon with his mom, Katie
At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Gideon’s treatment included surgery to remove the primary tumor, a bone marrow transplant, radiation therapy and an antibody therapy manufactured right on the St. Jude campus in Memphis, Tenn.
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.
Gideon completed treatment in early 2017 and now visits St. Jude for yearly appointments. He loves all things sports and will start playing t-ball soon.
Gideon is also excited about becoming a big brother when his mom gives birth to a baby girl this fall.
A recent photo of St. Jude patient Gideon with a friend
Meet more patients
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Meet Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn first came to St. Jude at just over a year old when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. Despite all she’s been through, her smile shines bright.
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Meet Mia
Mia is a friendly, caring child who was referred to St. Jude from her home country of Nicaragua when she was 5 years old. She was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a malignant tumor in her brain.
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Meet Luis
Like many boys his age, Luis wanted to be a soccer player when he grew up. But then he was diagnosed with cancer. Now he wants to help kids like him.
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Meet Brinley
In 2015, Brinley was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She was cancer free for more than two years when, in 2019, her family learned the cancer had returned.
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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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How St. Jude patients spent their time during quarantine
While difficult at times, quarantining during COVID-19 has allowed St. Jude patients and their families, while respecting social distance, to let their creativity flourish in ways that has brought them closer together. See how some of our patients spent their time during quarantine.
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Meet Eleanor
Eleanor is a determined baby who arrived at St. Jude on her first birthday. She was diagnosed with down syndrome and a type of blood cancer.
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Meet Fletcher
Fletcher is a 12-year-old boy and a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So it was a dream come true when he announced the team's pick in the NFL draft on April 23.
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Meet Jamia
Jamia is weathering difficulties far beyond her years as she undergoes treatment for neuroblastoma, a type of cancer arising from nerve cells.
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Meet Deuce
Deuce is a fun-loving kid who's undergoing treatment for a rare type of blood cancer.
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Meet Marric
Marric and his family had specific needs going into his treatment for lymph system cancer, but they never imagined how many of them would be met and exceeded at St. Jude.
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Pushing through hard times
Colton is a 9-year-old boy who's used to being active in every area of life. And while an aggresive form of kidney cancer might have threatened that, St. Jude was right by his side.
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Meet Caitlyn
Being diagnosed with a brain tumor was one of the scariest experiences for Caitlyn and her family. But her fears are being eased with St. Jude by their side.
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Meet Alana
Alana didn't let a cancer diagnosis get in the way of her dreams for the future. Neither did St. Jude.
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Meet patient Lillian (Lily)
Lillian (Lily) and her sister, Emmy, are inseparable, and always on the move. St. Jude is keeping them that way.