Our son is a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital here in Memphis.
When he was six months old, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of brain cancer. He’s received over a dozen rounds of chemotherapy, numerous operations, countless MRIs and hours of physically, occupational and speech therapy at St. Jude.
Josiah will never be “out of the woods” with his cancer, but today, he’s basically a normal almost-three year old. He’s a picky eater, loves Hot Wheels cars and just about every Pixar movie.[1. Except The Incredibles, which he doesn’t seem to care for.] He’s legally handicapped, but the way he plays with his little sister, you might not notice that he limps and doesn’t have good use of his left hand.
All of his progress is thanks to the tireless doctors, nurses, researchers, fundraisers, teachers, janitors, cooks, tour guides and volunteers at St. Jude. This is the hospital’s mission:
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
That “ability to pay” phrase is shockingly meaningful to families like ours. Josiah’s care has cost over $2 million to date, and thanks to that care, he is doing very well.
St. Jude has an entire organization of people raising money for the hospital, to pay for treatment and research for kids like Josiah. Countless individuals, families and companies make it possible for me to enjoy watching my son run around our apartment.
Without this support, St. Jude couldn’t be saving lives. Without it, I could never afford this level of care and treatment for Josiah.
Chili’s is probably one of the most-recognized examples. On St. Jude’s campus, there is an entire building named the Chili’s Care Center, built from the kindness of the restaurant chain’s leadership and customers.
This Monday — September 26 — the restaurant is donating 100% of its profits to St. Jude. So, go fight the crowds and eat out Monday night. Raise a margarita to St. Jude, and to Josiah. Both are miracles.
