St. Jude patient Charlie wears Christmas pajamas while spending the holidays in the hospital at St. Jude.. — St. Jude patient **Charlie** while he was being treated at St. Jude at Christmastime.

Celebrating Christmas in the hospital

St. Jude patient families share how they spent Christmas at the hospital.

Explore ways to brighten the holidays if someone you know is in the hospital this time of year, and share.

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Feeling 'a sense of peace'

Decades before Charlie was diagnosed with a bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma in 2020, his aunt had received cancer treatment at St. Jude. She did not survive, passing away as a child on Christmas Day.

We remember her every year on Christmas Day, but actually being in the same place, the same grounds, on that same day. It was eerie. It was strange. But there was a sense of peace, too. An odd sense of peace.

- St. Jude patient Charlie's mom

Charlie completed treatment, and his scans have remained clear.

Read Charlie's story >

Inspired to create new traditions

St. Jude patient Maria Fernanda and her parents didn't celebrate Christmas until after being at St. Jude during the holiday season.

Maria Fernanda and her family had never celebrated Christmas at home in Cuba before they came to St. Jude in 2014, so that she could be treated for eye cancer.

Since that first holiday at St. Jude, the family has adopted several Christmas traditions.

In our country, we do not have a tradition to celebrate Christmas, so we had only seen it in movies. Arriving at St. Jude was a mix of emotions: We were scared and uncertain but seeing the holiday decorations and the warm welcome from all the hospital staff made us feel hope and love.

— St. Jude patient Maria Fernanda's dad

Read Maria Fernanda's story >

Away from loved ones but not alone

It's easy to feel alone during the holidays when everybody's with family, but we didn't feel alone here.

- St. Jude patient Shayla's mom

Shayla was being treated at St. Jude for a blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when she and her mother spent Christmas at the hospital housing facilites, where they opened gifts with their family over smartphone.

Read Shayla's story >

St. Jude patient Shayla when she was being treated at St. Jude at Christmastime.

'Every step of the way'

St. Jude patient Mack opens Christmas gifts at home in 2023. He arrived at St. Jude as a patient on Christmas Eve 2014.

Mack was diagnosed with bone cancer just before Christmas in 2014 and arrived at St. Jude on Christmas Eve.

That Christmas morning was our first of many, many mornings at St. Jude. I remember all these doctors came in to see us on Christmas Day, and how encouraged we felt when they said, 'We will be with you every step of the way.'

— Patient Mack's mom

"People might worry about the perfect present or the perfect decorations or whatever it is, but take it from me: The most important thing is being together."

Read Mack's story >

'The best Christmas'

Two days before Christmas 2019, Eduardo was able to leave inpatient care at St. Jude where he was being treated for liver cancer. He and his mother and his maternal grandmother celebrated the holiday together at Target House, a long-term housing facility for patient families receiving treatment at St. Jude.

I felt like it was the best Christmas, because I knew my son had overcome so many challenges up to that point.

- St. Jude patient Eduardo's mom

Read Eduardo's story >

St. Jude patient Eduardo spent his first Christmas in St. Jude patient housing.

St. Jude patient Natalie (front) with her siblings at Christmas 2023. Natalie completed treatment at St. Jude just before Christmas 2022.

Home in time for Christmas

Natalie was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor called neuroblastoma in 2022 when she was just 16 months old. After 10 months of treatment at St. Jude, Natalie got to go home ─ just in time for Christmas.

We never thought we would see this day.

- St. Jude patient Natalie's mom

Now 4, Natalie still is receiving treatment at St. Jude. Her hair is just long enough to braid. She’s learned to swim and took her first ballet lessons.

Read Natalie's story >