A moment of hope that inspired years of generosity

Sometimes, one moment is all it takes. 

For Jesús Chávez, it was his first visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, which offered him a glimpse into something extraordinary — an experience so powerful it has stayed with him ever since. 

It was 2008, and he had been invited to the St. Jude campus in Memphis, Tennessee, while working in Univision’s radio division. The goal was to help coordinate the annual radiothon that airs on Hispanic media outlets nationwide to benefit St. Jude.

“I remember seeing a child receiving chemotherapy while doing his schoolwork. He was calm, focused, as if it were just another day, and that contrast struck me because he had found a moment of normalcy in his life,” Chávez remembered. “At the same time, I realized that the hospital is there precisely for that — to support them and help them through such difficult moments.” 

That moment never left him.

It’s what has inspired Chávez to support the mission of St. Jude for more than 15 years, with unwavering dedication and a deep sense of purpose. 

“To me, that’s hope: being able to find peace in the middle of the chaos that a serious illness can bring at such a young age,” said Chávez, the regional president of TelevisaUnivision in California.

Since then, he said, St. Jude has become part of both his professional and personal life. 

Today, he volunteers as chair of the Digital Advisory Council at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. The council is made up of professionals who advise the organization on digital strategy and marketing, always seeking new ways to connect with audiences and help save lives.

His connection to St. Jude became even more personal when he saw his father face cancer twice. “It made me think a lot about the children who receive a similar diagnosis but haven’t yet lived their lives,” Chávez said. 

Later, when his daughter was born, he said he felt an even deeper bond with the St. Jude families he’s met over the years.

“I now see parents in a very different light — those who go through that experience, standing by their children with cancer or other serious illnesses. And you ask yourself, ‘What if it happened to me?’ Becoming a father has profoundly strengthened my connection to St. Jude,” he said. 

Although his daughter is only 13, Chávez has taken her to St. Jude events so she can become familiar with the mission by hearing the stories of patients and their families.

He wants to inspire her. He’s confident that her generation will follow in his footsteps. 

“I’d say they care a lot about the community and the world. They have different causes, so it’s great that they get involved early,” he said. “Young people have that desire to be part of something bigger that benefits others, and I’m glad to see they want to be involved.”

Whenever he has the chance, Chávez opens his heart and shares his experience with St. Jude in front of different audiences. One of the aspects he most enjoys highlighting is the St. Jude Global® strategy to address the disparity in pediatric cancer survival worldwide. It’s especially meaningful for him to discuss Mexico — the country where he spent part of his childhood, and where the hospital collaborates with multiple sectors to improve care for the 7,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year in that country. 

But Mexico is just one part of a much larger mission.

St. Jude is currently collaborating with the World Health Organization and global partners to cure at least 60% of children with the most common cancers worldwide by 2030. 

“I always say that St. Jude has a clear mission: Finding cures. Saving children. ® And it’s succeeding. Its scientific advances are helping significantly reduce childhood cancer mortality around the world,” he said.

But he acknowledged there’s still much work to be done, and that community support is vital in helping to keep the mission alive. 

“St. Jude doesn’t just treat illnesses. St. Jude creates hope. And that hope needs all of us.”