thanks & giving

Meet Amber. She’s 8 years old, loves t-ball, wants to marry a cowboy and has a smile that can light up a room. She also has rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of childhood cancer. And then there’s Tyron, a 3 year old who dances and sings to Gospel music with so much energy, you’d never guess he had Burkitt lymphoma.

These are just two of countless children who have been given a chance at life and the freedom to dream, thanks to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. These are also some of the stories that make me realize just how much I have to be thankful for.

While visiting Memphis, I was given the opportunity to have one of my dreams fulfilled: to visit St. Jude. On Friday afternoon, it was arranged for Katy, Heidi, Emily and I to tour the hospital campus (Thank you, Mr. Branston!) and learn more about the amazing work that is done there. This organization is truly astounding. Treating 5,400 patients annually, St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where children are never denied treatment as a result of the family’s inability to pay – if insurance doesn’t cover it, the family doesn’t pay. St. Jude even goes a step further to provide meals and lodging for patients and their families during treatment – they take care of everything, giving these families a huge blessing by taking care of common necessities. Between that and their discoveries of life-saving treatments, St. Jude has become a beacon of hope to children and their families, standing on the premise that, “no child should die in the dawn of life.”

Brenna, our wonderful tour guide, answered our questions and showed us around with an evident enthusiasm and passion for St. Jude. As a result of daily operating costs near the $1.4 million range, St. Jude’s fundraising organization, ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities), along with the help of their partners, do a phenomenal job of making Danny Thomas’ dream live on (read his incredible story here).

Dream Visit!

Needless to say, the visit was one that will stick with me for a long time. For dealing with something so heavy and devastating as childhood cancer, the hospital really was a place of happiness and joy. While we didn’t get to see patients other than those in the lobbies and waiting rooms, it is clear that this is a place built on love – every tile, every employee, and every hopeful face of the children who walk through the front doors. As I sit in my room listening to the quiet kitchen chatter between my mom and brother, an Elon freshman home for Thanksgiving break, it’s easy to get quietly lost amid the many comforts I have: a warm bed, my laptop, closet jammed with clothing, and shelves full of books and DVDs… the list goes on and on. These are not necessary for survival by any means; yet far too often we see the blessings that go above and beyond what we deserve as things we have to have. Life, health, friends, family… why don’t we celebrate these things every day, instead of letting them be swept under the chaos of daily life?

I realize that this has been a little out of the norm for Katydidnot, but I felt it was important to share. Especially as this holiday season comes around, I hope that we all take more than a moment to think about the grace we experience daily. And I hope you pass it on. Smile to a co-worker or classmate you don’t normally talk to, volunteer at your church, give to your favorite organization… Before you know it, you’ll be apart of something big.

For more information on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit their website at http://www.stjude.org. To learn more about the annual Thanks and Giving Campaign, or to donate, click here.

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