In 2018, 13-year-old Natalie underwent an MRI to find the cause of her knee pain. It seemed likely to be an injury from cheerleading, but after her stepsister, Olivia, was diagnosed with bone cancer that summer, no one wanted to take any chances.
Natalie’s MRI did show something unusual – possibly a bone infection. But the biopsy proved Natalie had osteosarcoma – same as Olivia – in her right tibia.

In a matter of days, Natalie joined her stepsister at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
When Natalie arrived in October 2018, Olivia was a month into the osteosarcoma treatment that Natalie would also complete.
They received chemotherapy and limb-saving surgery, in which the affected area of bone was removed and replaced with a rod, as well as physical therapy.

St. Jude patient Olivia (left) and Natalie (right) walk with their IV poles down the hallway.
They became “battle buddies,” keeping each other upbeat and passing the time with normal teen stuff, like makeup and their favorite shows.
I had someone really close to me that knew almost exactly how I felt and what I was going through.
Natalie

St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Both girls have now finished treatment and gone home cancer-free and are back at school. They return to St. Jude for checkups. Their families hope their surprising story will help spread awareness.
Meet more patients
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Meet Luna
When St. Jude patient Luna started to feel sick, her parents became concerned. Doctors in Guatemala confirmed what her parents had feared, Luna had leukemia.
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Meet Griffin
As an Air Force family stationed abroad, Griffin’s family was living in Germany when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Veteran’s Day 2019.
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Meet Krew
What started out as a seemingly innocent bump on the head was later heartbreakingly revealed as cancer. Krew was diagnosed with leukemia at just 7 months old.
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Meet Jean Pierre
At 18, Jean Pierre is headed to university. At three years old, he was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for craniopharyngioma, a slow-growing brain tumor.
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Meet Ava
Five-year-old Ava had a cancerous brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Referred to St. Jude, she underwent a second surgery, proton therapy and chemotherapy.
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Meet Sariyah
In the summer of 2020, photos taken of St. Jude patient Sariyah by her mother showed signs of cancerous tumors in both eyes at the age of 18 months.
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Meet Patient Lucas
Around Thanksgiving of 2020, three-year-old Lucas was complaining of headaches. His parents thought he just wanted attention. An MRI indicated something more serious.
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Meet Eri'Elle
Eri’Elle was just two years old when her troubles started. Her mother took her to a pediatrician and insisted they run tests to get to the bottom of her baby’s symptoms.
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Meet Scarlet
At St. Jude, Scarlet and her mom lived at Target House for half a year while Scarlet was in treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Her family never received a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. .
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Meet Gabe
When the lights on the Christmas tree hurt Gabe’s eyes, his mom knew something was wrong.
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Meet Calvin
At St. Jude, Calvin underwent chemotherapy, proton therapy and radiation treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue. He continues to receive treatment at St. Jude, having experienced a recurrence of cancer in 2020.
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Meet Lydia
Lydia has an unusual hobby for a kid her age: reading scholarly articles in medical journals. But not just any articles. She’s interested in those authored by Dr. Gajjar, the man – along with nurses and researchers and others at St. Jude – working to save her life.
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Meet Gracie
Gracie was eight months old when she was diagnosed with blood cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and physical, occupational and speech therapies at St. Jude.
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Meet Patient Mikayla
Over Christmas 2020, something was wrong with then one-year-old Mikayla. Referred to St. Jude, her cancer was identified as acute myeloid leukemia. Mikayla successfully underwent chemotherapy.
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Meet Weiming
Weiming was diagnosed with a rare disease, an immunodeficiency known as bubble boy disease and came to St. Jude at just four months from his home country of China.