The Miracle of St. Jude

Erin and her six-year-old daughter, Pfiefer, and 18-month-old son, Payden, were at McDonalds in Springfield, Missouri to get something to eat.  They paid the bill, collected their food, and turned for the door.  Pfiefer pointed to a donation box at the checkout and asked, “Can we put money in that and help the sick children?”  Mommy Erin proudly handed her daughter some money to put into the box, which was labeled as benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Within days Payden was diagnosed with leukemia and admitted into that very hospital.

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Erin originally took Payden to see his pediatrician about a recurring rash.  The rash was of minor importance but the doctor noticed some small spots that worried her.  She first mouthed the words that no parent ever wants to hear, “It may be cancer.”  She then advised Payden’s parents (Scotty and Erin) to take the little man to a children’s hospital in Kansas City for further testing.

Their worst fears were confirmed.  “It’s leukemia.”

But there was more bad news.  That hospital was not covered by their employer’s insurance program.

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The caring people at that hospital jumped into action and contacted St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee to see if they would accept Payden into their facility.

He was accepted and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  Among the many things checked was Payden’s bone marrow.  It was found to be 98% cancer.

Yes, 98% cancer.

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In the 1930s Amos Jacobs Kairouz was a struggling radio performer in his 20s.  By 1937 his financial problems turned serious.  He had married Rose Marie Mantell in January of 1936 and in 1937 his wife found herself pregnant with their first child. 

As I said, money was tight.  At one point the expectant couple was down to their last $7.

A devout Catholic, Amos attended mass regularly.  He gave that last $7 to the church offering, praying to St. Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of hopeless causes, to give him a means to provide for his family.  About a week later, he got a gig paying 10 times the amount of that offering.  Encouraged by the money, Amos promised St. Jude that, if the saint would make him successful, Amos would build a shrine in his honor.

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In 1940 Amos borrowed the names of two of his brothers and began performing as Danny Thomas.  Success began to snowball and, in the 1950s, Thomas, and his wife began dedicating much of their time to fundraising with a purpose.  In 1962 they founded the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on the premise that “no child should die in the dawn of life”.  In addition to treating childhood cancers, St. Jude researchers and doctors also treat children with genetic immune defects and pediatric AIDS, as well as using new drugs and therapies to fight infections.  They also freely share their research findings with the worldwide medical community.

When St. Jude opened its doors the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was a heartbreaking 4%.  Yes, only four out of 100 patients with the disease that my grandson has were expected to survive.

One of the founding ideas of St. Jude was that no child would ever be denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay.  St. Jude also helps the family pay for food, housing, and transportation during treatment.

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When Payden was accepted for treatment at St. Jude, the hospital sent a private airplane to transport him and his mom from Kansas City to Memphis.  Dad, Scotty, made the 7½ hour drive with his dad (me) while his mom (Annie) followed. 

At St. Jude, further testing revealed that Payden had ALL class B.  Thanks in part to St. Jude’s research, the survival rate for ALL has risen from that heartbreaking 4% in 1962 to a much more encouraging 94% today.

Despite the good news of treatability and financial help, Payden and his family have a tough journey ahead.  The family’s income earning ability has been severely compromised by the fact that someone will have to be with Payden around the clock for the next 2½ years while bills have increased dramatically.

Yes, Scotty’s and Erin’s families and friends have pulled together to help as much as we can and the couple is letting us do so despite the fact that they have always resisted being dependent on anyone for anything.

Don’t forget that big sister, Pfiefer still needs to have as normal a life as possible, considering Payden will not be allowed free reign outside the house due to his lack of an immune system for the next 2-2½ years.  When Pfiefer goes out to play in the back yard, special precautions will have to be meticulously followed for Payden’s safety, or he can’t go outside with her.

Yes, Payden’s immune system will be totally destroyed by the chemotherapy.  That means each and every person who visits the family can not be allowed to expose him to any disease or infection.  Even a simple head cold can send him on an emergency visit to the hospital for inpatient treatment.

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Currently 18 months old, Payden won’t understand why he has to make frequent trips for his chemotherapy, after each of which he will feel very, very sick.  He has already lost those beautiful, golden locks of hair that once crowned his little head.  He will most likely lose some of the baby fat that makes him so cute and his eyes will probably get that sunken, unhealthy look so closely associated with those undergoing cancer treatment.

Despite all the fear and pain, at the end of the next two or so years, and then six months of rebuilding his immune system, the odds are good that we will still have Payden…my little mini-me.  We will have the rest of our lives to enjoy him and try to make up for what was missed during the years of treatment.

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We can go forward with confidence because St. Jude’s research has done so much to improve his chances from that 4% they would have been in 1962 to the 94% they are today.

Danny Thomas once said, “Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself.  It’s what you do for others.”

Mr. Thomas, you are a tremendous success.  Payden’s parents, family, and friends offer you our gratitude.  We have donated to St. Jude in the past and, I assure you, our donations will continue and happily increase in the years to come.

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