My son Josiah, a St. Jude patient, has persevered through cancer and more

When I think about my son Josiah, I can’t help but smile. He’s got an imagination that knows no bounds. Whether he’s building something with his beloved Legos or dreaming up new inventions, he’s always creating. Josiah is a one-of-a-kind kid, and he’s been that way from the beginning.

Josiah was born with a condition called neurofibromatosis that predisposes him to tumor growth. He was just a toddler when he was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer, after being referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. 

He didn’t even know he was sick. His willpower to keep striving, to keep being himself, has always been incredible. 

There are times when I get emotional thinking about how much he’s overcome. We have a video of him walking down a hallway at St. Jude when he was little, and it brings tears to my eyes because even though he was sick, he had so much swagger in his walk. 

Even now, at 9 years old, Josiah is still receiving treatment at St. Jude for a plexiform neurofibroma on his cheek. This growth isn’t cancerous, but it has affected his appearance. Kids at school sometimes don’t understand what he’s been through. They don’t mean to be unkind, but their curiosity can sometimes be challenging for Josiah. I always tell Josiah to explain his condition to them because he loves making friends.

Josiah has taught me something important that’s worth sharing: The child who seems a little different might be the strongest person you’ll ever meet. 

Josiah has been a warrior from day one.

Walking through the doors of St. Jude for the first time changed everything for me. I instantly understood why those St. Jude commercials come on TV. I’m grateful for those commercials because they help people understand what we’re going through. 

We participate in the St. Jude Walk as a family because it unites our community and makes Josiah and his three siblings feel strong.  

St. Jude is a blessing. Without their support and without our community, I don’t know where we’d be. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. I wish the best to all the dads out there, especially those who are fighting alongside their little warriors. Keep the faith and stay strong.

Read more about Josiah here.