Last September, Woods complained of headaches, ran a fever and threw up in the mornings after he woke. His parents, Ashley and Henry, worried something was wrong.
Just before Woods’ fourth birthday, their fears were confirmed when a CT scan revealed Woods had a type of cancerous brain tumor called medulloblastoma.
St. Jude patient Woods with his favorite stuffed toy
We wanted to be where doctors saw hundreds of these types of cases.
Ashley and Henry were familiar with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and asked for a referral. “We wanted to be where doctors saw hundreds of these types of cases,” Henry said. Within days, the family arrived at St. Jude.
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. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%.
At St. Jude, Woods underwent surgery to remove the tumor, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which he completed in May 2018.
His family celebrated the end of his treatment with a No More Chemo party, attended by family, friends and Woods’ St. Jude care team.
St. Jude patient Woods with his mom, Ashley
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Woods', 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 Devon
Devon loved to play video games with his brothers, ride his bike and travel. But unlike most boys, Devon had cancer. Read his story.
-
Meet Mayela
Mayela is an extrovert who loves to play and have fun. She recently finished treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.
-
Meet Ashtyn
When Ashtyn’s family learned she had a type of cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma, they turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
-
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 Alana
Alana didn't let a cancer diagnosis get in the way of her dreams for the future. Neither did St. Jude.
-
Meet Miguel
Miguel is a happy boy who loves to laugh.
-
Meet Bella
Originally from India, 13-month-old Bella was referred to St. Jude after pulling through surgery to remove her brain tumor. Today, thanks to St. Jude, she's thriving.
-
Meet Maelin-Kate
Maelin-Kate was diagnosed with a rare blood disease at age 5, but her mom says, "Every day, she finds a reason why it's the best day ever."
-
Meet Pepe
Pepe and his family have known cancer more intimately than most families. Watch their journey in this 4-part series, and how they found hope through it all.
-
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.
-
Meet Patient Emily
5-year-old Emily underwent a total of 16 months of chemotherapy and 12 weeks of radiation therapy after being treated for cancer twice.
-
Meet Yamila
Yamila has been fighting cancer since age 3. “We were losing hope,” says her mom. “The only thing left to do was a bone marrow transplant.”
-
Meet patient Lillian (Lily)
Lillian (Lily) and her sister, Emmy, are inseparable, and always on the move. St. Jude is keeping them that way.
-
Meet Tina
Tina was referred to St. Jude after she was found to have a brain tumor. St. Jude has given her family hope.
-
Meet Maryelle
Maryelle was diagnosed with a rare disorder that left her family with little hope.