Growing up in El Paso, Texas, Joseph Gutierrez loved helping others.
“One of my core values was to always be kind and serve others. If I was able to help people or simply make someone smile, I felt I was fulfilling my purpose in life,” he said.
As a child, Gutierrez saw TV commercials where patient families shared memories of coming to St. Jude. Since 2023, he has enjoyed being part of those families’ journeys.
“Whether it be in the care I give or simply taking the time to talk to them or play games with them, I enjoy helping to bring smiles to the faces of the children at a time when they are going through so much,” he said.
Gutierrez started as a participant in the St. Jude Nurse Residency Program. He later became a pediatric oncology nurse on the hospital’s intermediate care unit, where he works as part of a team helping patients with various conditions, including Solid Tumor/Neuro oncology service, leukemia, and sickle cell diagnosis. He also cares for patients transitioning from intensive care to the general medical-surgical units.
“What I enjoy about working at St. Jude is not only the caring community between patients and staff but also how we all share the same passion for wanting to help others by making a difference,” he said. “When I hear the words ‘St. Jude,’ it always brings me back to one word, and that’s ‘hope.’ As Danny Thomas himself believed, ‘No child should die in the dawn of life.’”
St. Jude employees hail from more than 120 homelands, and Gutierrez appreciates that diversity, both professionally and personally. He is proud that the St. Jude Values align with his personal values.
“I love the diversity within the St. Jude community between both staff and families. I have met and worked with a few people from my home state and people who share my ethnic background, and it gives me great joy and a home-away-from-home feeling,” he said.
“Being a Hispanic/Latino male myself, I’m happy to see so many people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds coming together for one common goal.”