St. Jude gave me a second chance at life

I was only a year old in 1997 when I was diagnosed with leukemia in my homeland of Venezuela. My parents were told that my prognosis was poor, and doctors referred me to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After my arrival in Memphis, Tennessee, I underwent a bone marrow transplant, and in February 1999 my doctors determined that my prognosis had changed for the better. I successfully overcame the first year after transplant.

I was discharged and given the green light to return to Venezuela.  

I don’t have a recollection of my time living in Memphis. After I returned home, my parents always made sure I had a normal childhood growing up.

But I would visit St. Jude often. We came back for medical checkups for 15 years. When I turned 18 years old, they asked me to be part of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (St. Jude LIFE), which helps researchers learn about the long-term health of childhood cancer survivors. Now I have occasional research appointments where I’m able to provide valuable information about my experiences that could help other patients here in the United States and in other parts of the world.  

All my life I have known that my treatment at St. Jude has allowed me to not only live life, but to live it to the fullest. 

After graduating from high school in Venezuela, I moved to New York City for one year to learn English. I also took dance classes.  

I returned to the western coast of Venezuela, where my family is from. I went to college for psychology and graduated in 2019. I moved back to New York in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic because I wanted to pursue my passion as a dancer, and I’ve been able to finish two programs there. 

My training has included classes by renowned educators in the dance community. I’ve also performed on some of the city’s premier dance stages.  

Receiving life-saving treatment at St Jude has allowed me to live my dream life, and that’s why I believe St. Jude means hope. Even though the odds were not in my favor when I was diagnosed, St. Jude gave me a second chance at life.  I hope my story can be an example for the kids and families that are currently going through treatment. The doctors and their research have a huge impact on the life of childhood cancer survivors.