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Meet Shayla

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In 2021, Shayla started getting frequent nosebleeds. It didn’t seem too concerning, and yet, something led her mom, Shelanda, to request bloodwork. And the results were cause for great concern. Shayla had acute myeloid leukemia

Shayla was treated at a hospital near her home, but when she relapsed, she was referred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

 
St. Jude patient Shayla wears a colorful dress and smiles shyly with her hands in front of her.

St. Jude patient Shayla

 

When the family learned St. Jude was an option for further treatment, they said yes immediately.

 
 

Because of generous donors like you, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

 
 

Several weeks later, Shayla and Shelanda were discharged to St. Jude housing to celebrate Christmas. Shelanda remembers how happy and excited 3-year-old Shayla was to see the dusting of snow outside — a new sight for her. They opened gifts with their family back home over Facetime. “It felt good,” said Shelanda. “It wasn't ideal that we weren't together, but we were grateful that we had even reached that far."

It's easy to feel alone during the holidays when everybody's with family, but we didn't feel alone here.

St. Jude patient Shayla's mom

 
St. Jude patient Shayla in front of a Christmas tree on the St. Jude campus

St. Jude patient Shayla 

 

Shayla’s cancer has remained in remission. “Because we've been through relapse, you take it month by month, you take it test by test,” said Shelanda. “Despite everything that she's been through, she's still happy. She still has a lot of love, a lot of spark, a lot of life in her. You look at this child and she's still eager to learn, to see, to do everything .... And you want to be able to give the world to her. St Jude gave us the opportunity to fight for her life. For many reasons, St. Jude saved Shayla's life.”

 
 
St. Jude patient Shayla shows her arm muscles while her mom kneels beside her and laughs.

St Jude patient Shayla with her mom

 

St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer, no matter where they live.

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