Cameron is the kid with the magic smile.
His dad, Wardell, said, “From the time Cam was maybe 5 months old, we knew there was something special about him. Parents, we all say that, but you know, I’m being honest. He’s the baby of six, and he is in a class of his own.”
Cameron is exceptionally caring, and something about him just draws people near.
In 2016, when he was in the second grade, Cameron took a tumble down the stairs while playing with his brothers. Afterward, he couldn’t walk; Wardell literally carried him into the emergency room.
There, an MRI of Cameron’s back showed tumor growth along his spine in about 3 different places. A second MRI showed a tumor in his brain.
Once you hear the possibility of brain tumor … you hear it but you don’t. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience. It was surreal. But we were prepared to do whatever we could to fight for our son.
St. Jude patient Cameron with his dad, Wardell
That meant coming to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Following three tumor removal surgeries at a children’s hospital in their home state, the family arrived at St. Jude around Thanksgiving. St. Jude has made strides in combating Cameron’s type of brain cancer, medulloblastoma.
Cameron has a brother who is serving overseas, whom he adores. Their reunion was a special moment.
And treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened in 1962.
But 80% isn’t enough. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
St. Jude patient Cameron with his mom, Tamika
We got a break to come home for Christmas, which was unexpected. We were so excited about going home; we’re a close-knit family and not used to being apart. But when we got home, Cameron and I both had a feeling of anxiety, because St. Jude is magical. The level of care is so outstanding, we felt safer at St. Jude than in our own home.
“I said to my wife, we need to be donors. We need to donate to St. Jude. She said, ‘I’ve already beat you to it.’ Her workplace was participating in the Combined Federal Campaign, and she was a donor for five years before our son’s diagnosis.”
Cameron completed treatment in summer 2017 but returns to St. Jude for checkups and to light up the place with his giant and genuine smile.
Though he’s a child, he was a much better and stronger man than I am. He never complained and was an example for everybody around him. One of the things that sticks with me from this experience is not taking life for granted, being appreciative of the small things. Keep a positive outlook and keep moving forward, and then, you affect those around you. It was through Cameron’s situation that we learned to keep faith in humanity. St. Jude reminded us there are more good people than bad people in the world.
Cameron and his mom shared a hug near a statue of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas during Cameron’s recent checkup.
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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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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 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 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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Meet Gideon
After Gideon was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, he was referred to St. Jude for immediate treatment.
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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 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 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 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.
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Meet Avyan
Avyan carries himself with confidence and strength beyond his years. His manner has given fortitude to his family as they walk through an unimaginable reality.