In decorating for Halloween, Josiah’s family celebrates his survival and his joy.

The two skeletons sat companionably together at a card table bedecked with a tablecloth, candles and skulls. One skeleton looked like he was laughing at a joke, while the other one, the one with the blue wine goblet, had his arm up high, as though he were waving to someone. 

“This is so cool!” Josiah said. 

Several feet away by the curb, his mom, Amanda, had posted a sign explaining theirs was one of many homes nationwide uniting to support St. Jude through the Skeletons for St. Jude fundraiser. As easy as scanning the QR code on the poster, a person could give — and help save lives.

Lives like Josiah’s. 

“I saw a story about Skeletons for St. Jude in my (social) feed one day, and I was intrigued by how much money they had raised for St. Jude,” Amanda said. “And so, it inspired me because of my situation with Josiah.”

Josiah was referred to St. Jude in 2018 after doctors discovered a large mass between his bladder and prostate. At 22 months old, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. His treatment included chemotherapy and proton therapy.  

Now he’s 8 years old, a second grader and excited about Halloween. 

They go trick-or-treating as soon as Josiah gets home from school, before it even gets dark. Little sister Jenesis comes along, too. 

Josiah loves eating Nerds Gummy Clusters until they turn his tongue a different color. He loves watching the movie Hocus Pocus.

Amanda plans to buy a few more skeletons this year. “Make it like a whole skeleton family,” Amanda said.  

She’ll put out her Skeletons for St. Jude sign. Josiah will be delighted.

“He was asking me if we were doing that again,” Amanda said. “He loved it.”