A Father’s Gratitude: Homecoming after Cancer

This Father’s Day will be my first since coming back from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and it will be a great one knowing my son, Hayden, is alive and well. It’s a special moment for me as a father. I will treasure these moments with my son by my side, spending more time with him, not just as his father, but also as a friend. I want to be the best dad I can be. 

Last Father’s Day, my son had been recently diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye, and we didn’t know what was to come. When we found out Hayden was sick, we were heartbroken, terrified and wondered if there was hope since so many of my loved ones had died of cancer in the past.  

I prayed day and night and asked God to intervene in our only son's life, knowing that it wasn’t going to be an easy road mentally, physically, spiritually and most of all financially. He answered our prayers when Hayden was referred to St. Jude, 1,500 miles from our home in Jamaica.  

At St. Jude, Hayden underwent surgery and received treatment. I was overwhelmed by everything that took place and wondered at the same time if it was real. All that St. Jude has done for us was at no cost to us. The doctors, nurses and staff at St. Jude have gone above and beyond to help my son. Words aren't enough to express how grateful I am every day for what St. Jude has done for my family.  

I pray that St. Jude and its donors continue to be a beacon of hope and change for all. We are forever grateful and thankful for all you have done for us.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.