To Oliver and Dianna Von Troll, the children of St. Jude are family.

Just before sunrise, Oliver and Dianna Von Troll lace up their walking shoes, grab their water bottles and head outside, taking advantage of the brief coolness that lingers in the South Florida air before the humidity sets in.

They use those early moments of walking to talk and catch up on their daily lives. Between professional commitments, business projects and everyday responsibilities, the couple has learned to protect these simple rituals that allow them to begin the day with a sense of calm.

Often, during these conversations, a topic central to their lives emerges: the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

When they speak, it’s obvious it isn’t just another cause for them. “My wife and I didn’t have children, and we’ve decided that the children of St. Jude are our children.”

Both agree the mission thrives thanks to the community’s support — but they also know who the true heroes are.

“They’re the real heroes of this story … the children who wake up each day, face treatment to save their lives and still give you a smile at the end of the day,” Oliver said.

To understand his deep bond with St. Jude patients, Oliver often thinks back to his own childhood.

He was born in Peru and spent much of his early years living with his grandmother while his mother worked in the United States to support the family.  

“I had a tough childhood. We had food and a place to live. But beyond that, we didn’t have much. Basically, it was living day-to-day,” he recalled.

Many children around him faced even greater hardship. “There were so many kids without parents … living on the streets,” he said.

Oliver, who is the president of a construction firm, showed his entrepreneurial spirit early on in life. When his mother sent him toys from the United States, he sold them. With the money he made, he bought other items to sell. 

Before long, he even organized other children to help him sell. 

“At 7 years old, I was a businessman in Lima!” he said with a big smile.

Oliver believes that period shaped the way he sees the world.

“I think sometimes you’re born with something special. God gives you a gift, a superpower, and I believe that’s mine,” he said. 

That “superpower” would eventually lead him to build a construction company that today employs about 400 workers and more than 2,000 contractors. 

But when Oliver talks about his work, he insists that true impact isn’t measured only in buildings or numbers — it’s also measured in people and in the sense of community built around that work.

Sania Khan Salas, executive vice president of the Von Trolls’ company, said that this spirit of giving has also become part of their corporate culture.

“Oliver wants his employees to feel the same connection he feels with St. Jude and encourages us to support the patients and their families,” Sania said. “I know that even though he spends a lot of time ensuring the company’s success, what truly makes him happy is helping others.”

Over the past three years, the construction company has sponsored the St. Jude Walk in Broward County, Florida, engaging dozens of employees, along with their friends and families, to volunteer and participate in the 5K. They also invite clients and suppliers, working together to surpass their fundraising goal each year. In 2025, they raised more than $100,000, becoming the top corporate fundraising team in the nation.

“That collaboration with St. Jude helps us understand that as a company, we’re part of something bigger, something that goes beyond constructing buildings. We’re here to impact lives,” Sania said.

Oliver’s connection with St. Jude grew even further through his involvement in philanthropic space missions. He supported the prelaunch gala for the Inspiration4 mission, the historic civilian spaceflight in 2021 that raised more than $200 million for St. Jude thanks to the generosity of mission commander Jared Isaacman.

In 2025, Oliver experienced a moment he’ll never forget: flying in a MiG fighter jet alongside Isaacman — a charity auction item he had won — where he witnessed firsthand the skill, discipline and training behind these groundbreaking space exploration efforts.

A very personal experience  

Oliver’s commitment to St. Jude took personal meaning after one of the hardest moments he ever faced: Dianna’s cancer diagnosis.

“When my wife was diagnosed, I felt like my heart stopped,” he said.

For Dianna, the experience made something unmistakably clear: Cancer affects not only the patient, but the entire family. Thinking about that inevitably made her reflect on the families at St. Jude facing the same situation.

“It feels good to know that, in some way, we’re helping families who are going through the most difficult moment of their lives,” she said.

When the couple visited St. Jude for the first time, seeing the hospital up close was even more emotional than they expected.

What moved Oliver wasn’t just the scale of the hospital, but “the warmth within its walls.”

“I felt the love from everyone, the children, the doctors … everyone had an energy that changed me,” he said.

Dianna was also struck by scientific research and collaboration. 

“I loved seeing how passionate they are about their work and knowing they’re saving lives,” she said.

St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children.

“I realized it was much more than donating money. St. Jude goes beyond healing a child. It helps their family, wherever they are, feel hope.”

A legacy that endures

Over time, Oliver and Dianna realized they could support the mission of St. Jude long-term. 

“We included St. Jude in our will so we can help not only the children of today, but also the children of tomorrow,” Oliver said.

Dianna said the decision was simple. “We chose to do it because there’s no greater legacy than giving these children the chance to live.”