North Carolina family grateful for St. Jude — including supporters who helped them through Josie’s childhood cancer treatment

Josie’s pediatric cancer diagnosis turned her family’s life upside down in 2019. What they didn’t expect was the extraordinary care that followed at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

“They made us feel like we truly mattered,” Josie’s mother, Lisa, said. “We’re just a normal family who went through a very hard season, but the support we received was overwhelming in the best way.”

9-1-1

Josie the 3-year-old had taken a bad fall at daycare that had left some bruises — a black eye and a bruise behind her right shoulder. She also had some red spots on her buttocks.

A few days later, Lisa was helping Josie in the bathroom when she noticed petechiae — the tiny, pinpoint red and purple spots — had spread to the back of the little girl’s thighs. Maybe this was connected to the bad fall?

Her temperature was slightly elevated, so Lisa put her down for a nap. When Lisa went to wake her up, Josie’s covers were soaked with sweat. As Lisa ran her bath, she saw the petechiae had spread to the back of Josie’s knees, abdomen and arms.

Lisa called the pediatrician’s nurse triage line. The pediatrician told her to take Josie to the ER right away. “Outside, it was dark and Josie was already asleep,” Lisa said. “I checked the clock before waking her, and it still gives me chills that it was 9:11. 9-1-1.”

Bloodwork and imaging revealed that Josie had a blood abnormality. Her platelet count was low, which explained her easy bruising and petechiae.

She was referred to St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, by her local St. Jude Affiliate Clinic.

“We received a call and her plane ticket was booked. Transportation was taken care of,” Lisa said. “They moved so quickly that it felt like she was their top priority.”

Josie and her mom flew to St. Jude while her dad, Porter, and her big brother — also named Porter — stayed in North Carolina. Her brother remained in kindergarten, and her dad kept the company running. It was the practical choice, but being apart was incredibly hard. 

Fighter JET

At St. Jude, Josie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and the most common childhood cancer.

“The devastation of hearing the diagnosis never leaves you,” Lisa said, but added, “Seeing your daughter be completely embraced by this care team and supported in every way — it makes you realize how extraordinary this organization is.”

Josie’s resilience kept all their spirits up. 

Josie’s initials are JET, so her family called her “Fighter JET” when she was undergoing treatment. “Every morning, she would emerge from her bedroom in a different superhero cape, ready to tackle the day,” her dad said. 

She played, painted or made bracelets while she received treatments and loved the food at St. Jude. “I couldn’t eat a lot because of how sick I was, but when I did, I feasted on bacon, chicken tenders and pizza,” Josie remembered.

Slumber parties

Josie finished treatment in October 2021 after two and half years of chemotherapy. Today, the family is far more likely to talk about their blessings than the difficult road that brought them here. 

“Josie’s positive outlook draws people to her,” her dad said. “She carries a quiet wisdom and confidence beyond her years, connects naturally with people of all ages and leads with a kindness that makes others want to follow her.”

She’s also a lot of fun.

“She has such a clever, perfectly timed sense of humor,” Lisa said. “She’s always making us laugh.” Playdates often turn into slumber parties because no one wants the fun to end. 

“She has the busiest social calendar in our family,” Lisa said. “It’s like she’s making up for so much lost time. She just embraces life.”

Josie is fierce and hardworking. She’s thriving in fourth grade, and her year-round schedule is packed with sports — golf, basketball, softball, track, and soon, tennis. She loves staying active and trying new things.

During the summer of 2025, Josie attended a camp at a farm and got to work with horses and tend to goats. 

“Josie goes as hard as she can and never wants to miss an adventure or opportunity,” Lisa said.

Everything we ever wanted

One day recently when Lisa was sick with a minor bug, she warned Josie not to get too close.

“That’s OK mommy,” Josie said. “I was sick, too, and you took good care of me.”

Then the 10-year-old ran to make her mom a snack.

“She has a heart of gold and a kindness that comes from seeing the best examples of kindness all around her,” Lisa said. “We want people to know that St. Jude is everything to families like us. They gave us back a life filled with hope, joy and possibility.” 

For her big brother, Porter, the impact has been profound

“Josie is tough, smart, funny and one of my best friends,” Porter said. 

Thinking of a world without her is too painful for her family to imagine. 

“We only ever wanted two kids, a boy and a girl, and we felt so blessed to have them, and the thought of losing her was more than we could bear,” Lisa said. “St. Jude is like a member of our family. When our world was falling apart, they stepped in immediately, surrounded us with support and gave us back everything we ever wanted.”