St. Jude patient Delta with her family
Delta's story
Delta is a daddy's girl, and everybody knows it. “If it's not how Daddy does it, it's not right,” said her mom, Chelsie. “She's got to have it Daddy's way.”
But Delta and her daddy, Hayden, have often been separated while she has been receiving treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, hours away from their home and his job.
When Delta was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2023, at the age of 3, her parents tried to explain it to her in terms she could understand.
We told her that bad bugs are swimming around in her body, making her sick, and this is why we're here. St. Jude is going to get rid of these bugs.
Delta's mom, Chelsie
St. Jude patient Delta with her dad
St. Jude patient Delta, with her mom
Delta will receive chemotherapy until 2026. But her family has a sense of comfort, thanks to St. Jude.
“If you have questions, it isn’t rushed like at a regular hospital,” said Chelsie. “Her doctor would sit down and talk to us for almost an hour, explaining to us how Delta’s disease works, and how they will treat it."
Just having someone sit down and connect with you in a situation where your world is turned upside-down and you don’t know what tomorrow holds, it gives you peace of mind. They care about your daughter, but they also care about you.
Delta's mom, Chelsie
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
Animal lover Delta misses her dogs, her cat called Pepper Boy, her chickens, and collecting frogs in the family’s backyard, but her dad is able to come for regular visits, and that makes her very happy.
When you support St. Jude, you can help make cures possible for kids with cancer, like Delta. Together, we can save more lives.
St. Jude patient Delta
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