S2E8 | A full healing circle

When Jessica was growing up in the 1980s, her older sister was a patient at St. Jude. Unfortunately, she passed away. And as the years went by, Jessica avoided thinking and talking about her sister’s illness, not wanting to upset her parents. But then in 2020, Jessica returned to St. Jude, this time with her son Charlie.

That day, they learned Charlie had a type of bone cancer. “It was so shocking,” Jessica says. Charlie started treatment right away, and Jessica stayed with him. Visitation was restricted because of the pandemic, so they got to know St. Jude well. After months of chemotherapy and a surgery, Charlie completed treatment.

Now Jessica sees St. Jude as a place of hope. “This is like home for us because these people were with us and walked with us in these horrible times.”

Charlie says St. Jude did more than cure his cancer. “When I survived it, I feel like for my mom and for my grandparents, it was just like a full healing circle.”

Now Charlie is thinking about his future. He’s interested in becoming a research pathologist. And he got a chance to be a scientist for a day. You can watch a video of Charlie on the TODAY Show, visiting a St. Jude research lab here.

St. Jude Storied Lives is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This podcast series explores the experiences of survivors, letting you get to know the person and not just the diagnosis. St. Jude understands that every patient’s journey through treatment is unique. Listeners who have questions about their situation, diagnosis or treatment options should talk to their physician. These personal stories are not intended to provide medical advice.

Credits
Host: Joel Alsup
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editor: Grace Korzekwa Evans
Music production: Kazimir Boyle
Recorded by: Jason Latshaw, Nathan Black, Bobby Mitchell, Orlando Palaez and Dan Yohey