A Path To A Cure

Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Path To A Cure (NAPSA)—This year, parents of 16,000 children in the U.S. will hear the words “Your child has cancer” and researchers are working on ways to do something aboutthat. A leadinginstitution is trying to improve the way the world under- stands, treats and defeats child- hood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In fact, its brain tumor science and technology are at the cutting edge worldwide. Jake’s Journey St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has one of the largest research-based pediatric brain tumor programs in the country, which was a sign of hope for the parents of one youngpatient, Jake. When Jake was a toddler, he suffered from ependymoma, a type of brain tumor. Jake’s mom, Kathleen, remembered a phonecall she received from St. Jude. “The doctor called and explained everything in a way I could understand,” she said. “The doctor said, ‘Remember, there’s hope.” Jake had 6% weeksof radiation therapy. Treatments like this, which were invented at St. Jude, have helped pushthe overall childhood cancer survival rates from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened in 1962. Jake has been out of treatment for 15 years andvisits the hospital annually for checkups. A varsity football and lacrosse player, Jake is a senior in high school. He loves sports trivia and statistics, and gets to share that love as a broadcaster for his school’s newsstation. “You would never know that Jake had ever been so sick,” said Kathleen. “St. Jude saved hislife.” Inspired by the lifesaving work of St. Jude, Jake’s older sister, Emily, leads the family’s St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer team, a national event held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Septemberto raise funds and awareness for the hospital. i Vn a Now a high school varsity football and lacrosse player, Jake was successfully treated for a brain tumor when he wasjust a toddler. Because of such efforts, no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so families can focus on what matters most—helpingtheir child live. Doctors often send their toughest cases to St. Jude because it has the world’s best survival rates for some of the most aggressive childhood cancers. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Unlike any other hospital, the majority of funding for St. Jude comesfrom individualcontributors. “Jake and Emily and all our St. Jude patients and families are truly inspiring. I am continually amazed by their efforts to give back to St. Jude as well as byall the donors, volunteers and partners who embrace our lifesaving mission,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Because of their support, St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.” How To Help For further facts about the hospital and how you can help, visit www.stjude.org. Note to Editors: While September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, this information can be useful to your readers at any time.

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