St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, founded by entertainer and humanitarian Danny Thomas, was one man's promise that’s become an unprecedented beacon of hope and healing for the world. The single, star-shaped building that opened on Feb. 4, 1962, has given way to a 66-acre campus where research and treatments have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent when the hospital opened to more than 80 percent today. In this series, we share the stories of those who helped make St. Jude a reality, right from the start, and those who helped it become what it is today.
STORIES
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Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital honors the contributions and influence the AANHPI community has on its mission while sharing the stories of the children and families St. Jude serves.
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Honoring Arab American Heritage Month
Danny Thomas, the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, was the child of Lebanese immigrants. This collection details many who share that heritage, and how, over time, this support spread to include people from all backgrounds who have united around the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.
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Healing sibling bonds
National Sibling's Day celebrates the bond, love, and support between siblings. Here we offer stories of St. Jude patients that highlight their strength and unity, even through adversity.
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Celebrating Black History Month
Since opening in 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been dedicated to the equal care of all children with cancer and life-threatening diseases in alignment with founder Danny Thomas’ vision that St. Jude “love and care for our neighbor, regardless of color or creed."
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Make Life Your Legacy
It’s something we all think about at some point: How will we be remembered? Will it be for the things we left behind, or will we be remembered for what we did to make a difference? Our legacies say something about us as people. How we chose to live. What was important to us. When we showed up to help, when we cared, when we gave — that’s our legacy. A legacy that lasts.
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Holiday Traditions
We all have holiday traditions, whether we've practiced them our entire lives or started new ones. Many of these traditions are as unique as we are. Share your traditions with us and see if anyone else has similar ones!
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
This collection showcases the impact the Hispanic community has made on the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
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Our Cause Unites All - Sign the Map
People from all over the United States are sharing why they support children with cancer. Read what they’ve said here, and then add your own voice.
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Our Cause Unites All Map
People come from different places and perspectives. Explore our interactive map to read what motivated people to support children with cancer and the kids of St. Jude.
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St. Jude remembers Phil Donahue, husband of Marlo Thomas and legendary talk show host
One of the most powerful voices in America, he used it to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and help save children’s lives.
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September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
For more than 60 years, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has been committed to understanding, treating and finding cures for sickle cell disease.
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Recognizing Black Philanthropy Month
How Black philanthropists are transforming lives and powering the St. Jude mission.
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Recognizing World Sickle Cell Day
June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day. St. Jude has been committed to understanding and treating sickle cell disease for more than 60 years.
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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital celebrates patient athletes
Their stories showcase resilience, perseverance and ambition while exemplifying that every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment.
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Dynamic Dads
The dads of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are there for their kids, bringing the love, care, support — and groan-inducing dad jokes. They tell you why it matters.
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Celebrating Father's Day
Be it the dad of a St. Jude patient or a St. Jude supporter who is a dad, this collection highlights the qualities of fatherhood.
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Moms know best
Parenting advice from moms of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, funny and poignant, about what works, what doesn’t and what’s most important. Anyone who loves a child can learn a lot from these moms.
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Women who inspire
Their St. Jude experiences were formative, but it’s what they’ve done with the rest of their lives that make these women so remarkable.
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Celebrating Women's History Month
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital honors our ambassadors — donors, foundation executives, fundraisers, patient moms, supporters, and childhood cancer survivors — together, the women who tell our stories.
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Sure cure for the blues: How St. Jude founder Danny Thomas put the street back into Beale Street
‘Bring Back Our Beale Street’ swayed city fathers and raised funds for his beloved cause, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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Rev. Melvin Smith: 'Another Side of Humanity'
As the segregationist laws of the 1950s and ‘60s kept African Americans from advancing socially and professionally, St. Jude offered a safe environment where equality was the order of the day.
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Danny’s Day
One of the most remarkable lives of 20th Century America began on Jan. 6, 1914 — the birthdate of Danny Thomas. He achieved fame as a TV star, but his greatest role was raising the funds to build St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, on the belief that no child should die in the dawn of life.
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Legacy of a Cure: The Life of Dr. Brian Sorrentino
In a race against time, Dr. Brian Sorrentino helped introduce the word 'cure' to the devastating disease known as bubble boy. He died of cancer just a week after seeing proof that his gene therapy worked.
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St. Jude A to Z
H is for Hope: Take an A-to-Z look at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and how it came to be.
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Jack Vosse: Leaving a Legacy for St. Jude
A long-time St. Jude donor, Jack Vosse sheepishly admits he crashed the opening of the hospital in 1962. In the years since, he's learned supporting St. Jude requires no special invitation.
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Making History at St. Jude: Dr. Rudolph Jackson
When St. Jude opened in 1962, Danny Thomas vowed the hospital would treat patients regardless of race, religion or ability to pay. In 1968, Dr. Rudolph Jackson became one of the first Black doctors at St. Jude.
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Paul Williams: Architect to Stars and St. Jude
Paul Williams, an African-American architect who made his name designing homes for stars like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, donated his services to help his friend Danny Thomas build St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
