Amir has been a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital his whole life.
Shortly after birth, his family learned he had sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become hard and sickle-shaped, instead of soft and round.
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, such as sickle cell disease.
St. Jude patient Amir with mom, Deyona, and Director of Patient Services, Yvonne Carroll JD.
I knew about St. Jude. But I had no idea everything they do for the patients, how in-depth the care is.
Amir's treatment includes daily penicillin and hydroxyurea, and he visits St. Jude monthly for checkup appointments.
From our first sickle cell disease research grant in 1958, to pioneering the use of hydroxyurea in pediatric sickle cell disease patients, St. Jude has been committed to researching, understanding and improving standards of care for this disease since the very beginning.
Today, we are leading the Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP), which studies how sickle cell disease progresses over time, from childhood into adulthood, and how we can improve the quality of life for sickle cell disease patients while we continue to search for cures.
At St. Jude, they care about the family and the patient. That really means a lot.
Amir is an energetic, caring toddler who loves trucks and toy trolls.
Help our families focus on their sick child, not medical bills.
When you donate monthly, your gift means families, like Amir's, never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
Meet more patients
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Our Patient Stories
Be inspired by the touching stories of St. Jude patients facing childhood cancer and other diseases.
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Meet Rylee
When Rylee was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment. She received chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumor. Amidst these challenges, the family found hope at St. Jude.
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Meet Camila
Camila was diagnosed three days before her 3rd birthday with a solid cancerous tumor of the kidney. Read her story.
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Meet patient Natalie
Natalie seemed like a healthy toddler. But one day, she stopped using her left arm. She had Stage IV neuroblastoma and was referred to St. Jude for treatment.
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Meet Phoenix
Christmas Day plans for Phoenix’s family didn’t include a life-altering trip to the hospital. But at St. Jude, this close-knit family has been given hope.
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Meet Avery
Avery was diagnosed with sickle cell disease soon after birth and she received a bone marrow transplant at St. Jude in early 2023. Her donor was one of her older sisters.
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Meet Misheel
Misheel was diagnosed with brain cancer and was referred to St. Jude, where she has received treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She has refused to let her illness keep her from spreading joy to others.
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Holiday Video: Thank you for your support
Thank you for your support for the kids of St. Jude in 2024.
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Meet Charlie
Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in his shoulder, Charlie was referred to St. Jude then underwent chemotherapy and surgery to replace a cancerous bone with titanium.
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Meet Brayden
Brayden received chemotherapy as well as proton therapy for medulloblastoma at the first proton therapy center in the world dedicated solely to children.
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Meet Gideon
After Gideon was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, he was referred to St. Jude for immediate treatment.
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Meet Alejandro
Ines and Alejandro think of their son Alejandro every day. Their active and curious boy would have been near adulthood by now. They honor his memory through their commitment to St. Jude. Read more here.
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Meet Eli
At just 6 years old, Eli was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. His family was referred to St. Jude for his treatment and Eli underwent surgery to remove the tumor and a portion of his tibia.
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Meet Joshua
St. Jude patient Joshua recently took to the court to help end childhood cancer by fundraising for St. Jude.
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Meet Lucas: Patient
Lucas, who is from Chile, was 3-years old when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and was referred to St. Jude.