St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital celebrates 60th anniversary and 19 years of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign with a week of stories on NBC’s TODAY Show

St. Jude National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas will highlight patient stories and progress by St. Jude in fighting childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases

Memphis, Tennessee, Nov. 17, 2022

The St. Jude Thanks and Giving® holiday campaign, now in its 19th year, is kicking off its annual week of coverage on NBC’s TODAY Show starting Monday, November 21. National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas, St. Jude patients, cancer survivors and their families will join the TODAY Show anchors to reflect on their life-changing experiences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, where families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live. This year’s celebrations also mark 60 years of progress by St. Jude in researching and treating childhood cancer and life-threatening diseases and expanding its impact to help children worldwide.

“At St. Jude, we believe that every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment, and we are so excited to tell their stories next week on TODAY,” said Thomas. “We have made tremendous progress in the past 60 years. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was basically incurable. Now, the overall survival rate is more than 80%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. We are so grateful to our St. Jude Thanks and Giving partners and friends at TODAY for helping highlight our patients’ journeys and showing the difference that every person can make when they give to St. Jude.”

Marlo Thomas smiling bright with arms crossed.

All week, TODAY will spotlight the success of St. Jude research and treatments through stories on:

  • St. Jude survivor Micah, who discovered a love for climbing after treatment for Ewing sarcoma, which included a limb-sparing procedure. Now an international paraclimbing champion, Micah was surprised with the opportunity to climb with legendary free soloist Alex Honnold.
  • Three dads of St. Jude patients: the fathers became friends while their children were undergoing treatment for cancer and decided to train and compete together in the St. Jude IRONMAN 70.3 in Memphis this past October.
  • Patient Zoe, who turned to martial arts after treatment at St. Jude for craniopharyngioma. She shows off her skills at her local dojo and a karate competition in her hometown in California with a surprise guest.
  • Neuroblastoma survivor Lauren, who is a skilled competition gymnast, college first-year, and a budding fashion designer. Audiences will learn more about Lauren as well as incredible recent advancements by St. Jude in survival rates for high-risk neuroblastoma.

To close out the week, St. Jude cancer survivors will join Marlo Thomas live on the Plaza for the first time since 2019 for a 60th anniversary celebration.

To support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this holiday season, visit stjude.org/thanksandgiving. Shoppers can donate or purchase a limited-edition holiday product from a St. Jude partner to help St. Jude provide children cutting-edge treatments not covered by insurance, at no cost to families.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered largely incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. 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. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

Media Contact:
Maggie Meisinger, maggie.meisinger@alsac.stjude.org

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