St. Jude Storied Lives Podcast

When Jessica was growing up in the 1980s, her older sister was a patient at St. Jude. Unfortunately, she passed away. And as the years went by, Jessica avoided thinking and talking about her sister’s illness, not wanting to upset her parents. But then in 2020, Jessica returned to St. Jude, this time with her son Charlie. That day, they learned Charlie had a type of bone cancer. “It was so shocking...

If anyone knows what it’s like to be a patient at St. Jude, Javon does. He practically grew up there. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2 years old. He went through years of treatment, relapsed twice and had a bone marrow transplant. He didn’t go to a regular school until he was in sixth grade. But through it all, his charismatic personality prevailed. Javon’s mom understood what her son...

Barry has seven kids, and he spent years as a state trooper. But nothing in life prepared him for the months he spent helping his son Luke through cancer treatment. “I just wanted to give him that strength to keep pushing through,” he says. “Let’s get through Monday on Monday. Let’s not worry about seven months from now.” When Luke was 14, he started throwing up for no reason. It happened over and...

The first time Corbin was treated for cancer at St. Jude, he was a precocious 3-year-old who loved to ride tricycles around the halls. The last time Corbin was treated for cancer at St. Jude, he was a magnetic 18-year-old who loved to play guitar and had big plans to fight for justice in the courtroom, even as he neared the end of his life. Corbin had a genetic predisposition to develop cancer. In...

Angelique was an ambitious kid. She was curious about the world and driven to succeed. When she was a teenager, Angelique was diagnosed with leukemia and treated at St. Jude. Her time there forced her to slow down, but her care team planted the seed for a new ambition: nursing. Eventually Angelique became an oncology nurse. With each patient, she remembered the empathy of the nurses at St. Jude, a...

Holly had a storybook childhood. She lived in a small town and spent her days running around the neighborhood with friends and playing sports. But when she was 12, a nagging pain appeared in her leg. After visits to several doctors, she got an unthinkable diagnosis: cancer. Holly thought that was the end for her. Then she arrived at St. Jude — and felt hopeful. “That first time, they just came rig...

Tyler was only 6 years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia, too young to really understand what was happening. His family was in shock. At St. Jude, they found comfort. There were tough days, but also a doctor who played with him, visits from professional basketball players and most of all a community of support. Before his cancer was diagnosed, Tyler was in so much pain that he could barely w...

Nick was a quiet kid who loved to play basketball. He had dreams of playing at a big-time college program, just like his dad. But when he was diagnosed with leukemia, those plans were put on hold. He was unsure of how to express his feelings about what was happening to him, until fellow patients at St. Jude encouraged him to start rapping. Now Nick has an album out, and he’s got dreams about the m...

When Lindsey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, her condition was so severe that doctors wanted her to take an emergency medical flight from her home in Missouri to St. Jude in Memphis. But Lindsey refused. She was only 10 years old, and she wanted to have that car ride with her family, not knowing how much time she would have left. Thankfully, that’s not how her story ended. And at...

When Mariangeles came to St. Jude, she was stepping into the unknown. She was from Venezuela. She only knew a few words of English, and she’d never heard of Elvis or his hometown. She also had no other choice: doctors in her hometown had given her a week to live. At St. Jude, the treatment protocol saved her life, but it wasn’t an easy road. She was in a coma for several days, and losing her hair...

Addie grew up in a small town on the state line between Mississippi and Tennessee. It was the kind of place where everyone knew her. A whole lot more people know her now because of her budding musical career. By the time she was in college Addie was already a seasoned performer. She sang the national anthem before big college football games and performed with country music stars.   Donate to St. J...

Amy knows firsthand that St. Jude never gives up on its patients because she’s been a patient twice. When she was 10, Amy started to get a “blah” feeling that wouldn’t go away. She was diagnosed with leukemia. For the next two-and-a-half years, she received treatment at St. Jude. But a few years after she was declared cancer free, she had to do it all over again. In high school, that “blah” feelin...

Adrienne only has a few memories of her treatment for leukemia at St. Jude because she was very young when she was diagnosed. She says it was a welcoming place, where she got to spin around on doctor’s stools. But the long-term effects of chemotherapy stayed with her for years. Adrienne struggled in school. She had trouble understanding math and fell behind in reading. St. Jude helped her get caug...

When Enrique’s daughter Arianna was three, she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. Doctors gave her a year to live. But then the family came to St. Jude, where cutting-edge treatments helped her live a lot longer. Arianna passed away two weeks before her 8th birthday. But he says those extra years together were precious. “Arianna wasn’t supposed to make it to be four, but she made it to two wee...

Scott loves meeting new people, and if he walked up to say hi to you today, you’d never know he has a prosthetic leg. Over 30 years ago, Scott had a type of bone cancer. Doctors at St. Jude amputated his leg below the knee. He was a high school basketball player, and you’d understand if he was devastated. But Scott says he was at peace. He trusted the care at St. Jude and used the extra attention...

Paula calls St. Jude the most wonderful place you never want to have to go to. Her daughter Carson was diagnosed with cancer when she was seven. The cancer metastasized to her lungs, and 16 months after she was diagnosed, Carson passed away. “We knew that we were in for a huge journey with Carson from day one,” Paula says. Despite the tough days of treatment, there were smiles and happy times with...

When Emily was 16, she was an active kid, filling her days with activities after school and time with friends. But then she became lethargic. Her head felt like it would explode. Eventually, she was diagnosed with leukemia. When she arrived at St. Jude, Emily was critically ill. Doctors recommended a cutting-edge treatment. “Ninety-nine percent of my blood was leukemia when I got here,” she says....