St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Help for Children Suffering with Cancer and Other Deadly Diseases
Nov 20, 2008
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the only pediatric cancer center that has been designated by the National Cancer Institute as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center." It is operated by private and charity donations. St. Jude's is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
History of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
In 1962, St. Jude's opened its door to the public. The hospital was founded by actor, Danny Thomas, and is funded primarily through the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. Mr. Thomas believed that children should not die at such a young age because of cancer and other deadly diseases. The hospital was a way for him to help make that dream possible for families everywhere.
As a very young man, Danny Thomas was struggling to make ends meet, and his wife was expecting their first child. At a church in Detroit, he knelt before a statute of St. Jude and asked for help. Mr. Thomas promised to build a shrine to St. Jude if the saint would see his family through this difficult financial time. Throughout the years, he repeated his request to St. Jude, and each time he found an answer to help him. In turn, Danny kept his promise to the saint and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was opened.
Marlo Thomas is the main advocate for the hospital these days, as Danny (her father) passed away in 1991. She works very hard to bring awareness to people and to solicit donations.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Overview
When you see the St. Jude's commercials on television, it is hard to believe children can go through what these children and families endure every day. St. Jude's is recognized internationally for the work it does in treating and curing children with different types of cancer and other diseases.
This hospital is unlike any other children's hospital, in that there have been many discoveries made here that have completely changed the way children's cancer is diagnosed and treated. Some of the world’s most renowned and gifted researchers work here, so the level of research is top-notch, giving families great hope that cures will eventually be found.
There is no other hospital that is published more often on the subjects of pediatric oncology. In addition to cancer cases, this hospital treats the most difficult diseases affecting children; diseases that other hospitals are not able to treat. These diseases include:
- Infectious diseases
- Inherited immunodeficiencies
- Rare diseases
- Hematologic disorders
- Stem cell diseases
How Patients are Accepted into St. Jude's
St. Jude's is the second largest charity for healthcare in America, so funding for research and care never stops. Once a patient is accepted into a treatment program at St. Jude's, they are never turned away for an inability to pay the bills. Acceptance into a treatment program is never based upon race, sex, religion as well.
The way it works is that since St. Jude's is a research facility, children are accepted into a specific study. The information that is gathered from these studies is used to develop better treatments. The studies are ongoing in hopes to one day find a cure for the various diseases that come through the door.
Housing Provided for Families
Because children come from all over the United States, families often have to travel long distances. These families are helped with living expenses while the child is hospitalized or is receiving treatment. Much of the housing available to families has been donated by Target and McDonald's (the Ronald McDonald House).
To show how much this hospital is appreciated, in 1995 the $1,000,000 winning McDonald’s monopoly piece was mailed anonymously from a Dallas, TX post office. Even though it went against the policy of McDonald’s to transfer a prize, the company honored the game piece and now pays $50,000 a year to the hospital.
The hospital truly makes a difference in children's lives. No one ever wants to see a child suffer, but it is nice to know that there is a place like St. Jude's that can make such great leaps and bounds in helping to end the suffering.
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