Eleanor arrived at St. Jude on her very first birthday. It wasn’t exactly the celebration her mom, Elizabeth, had planned. In the months of leukemia treatment that followed, Eleanor made friends all over the hospital. But two in particular always put a smile on her face: Puggle and Huckleberry.

Amy was a sixth grader whose biggest worry in the world was the next day’s spelling test. Then she was diagnosed with leukemia. After successful treatment, she relapsed as a high schooler. But St. Jude didn’t just give her a second and third chance at life. It gave her a purpose

A pediatric cancer diagnosis is devastating, but in that moment, families also have crucial decisions to make — including where to seek treatment. When Brittney and Kiara, moms to 5-year-old Ashtyn, couldn’t agree whether to stay home or uproot the family, they asked for a sign.

When a child is sick, a parent’s instinct is to do something — anything — to help. That was especially true for Ryan, a first responder in his professional life. When his son, Brody, was diagnosed with leukemia, Ryan felt helpless. So he put his trust in St. Jude.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family’s life is upended. That’s how it was for Jillian when her son Alexander was treated at St. Jude for a cancerous brain tumor. She had to learn to release control. Only then could she master the minute-by-minute life of a cancer mom.

Janine felt scared and alone. Her 2-year-old daughter Marina had been diagnosed with retinoblastoma. But then mom felt the human touch of St. Jude, a place where healing comes with hope — and hugs. Suddenly, the fear left Janine and she could focus on what truly mattered.

For many patients, the toughest part of treatment is losing their hair. It’s that moment when they tell the world: I have cancer. But as Quincy braced for that side effect of chemotherapy, his dad, Quinton, found way to make being bald not so bad, after all.

Being a mom isn’t easy in the best of times. So imagine all the usual roles and responsibilities, plus having a child with cancer. When Braxton was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Nadine found solace at St. Jude, where she found herself part of a whole new family.

Dallas has been through a lot, from the death of his father to the tumor on his back to the bullying he faced because of his condition. So St. Jude was more than a place for medical treatment. It was a place to feel safe, to find moments of joy — joy that Dallas radiates back to everyone he meets.

Nothing prepared the Solomons for the loss of their firstborn Joshua to inoperable brain cancer. The grief sat so thick, so heavy on their chest, making it hard to move, breathe, speak. But hearing the urgent cry of their second son, Caleb, born just a month before Joshua died, showed them life goes on. They found strength and purpose taking care of Caleb and establishing a non-profit that gives annually to St. Jude’s brain tumor program, helping other families facing some of the same struggles they did.

Age is just a number. In Dean Troutman’s case, that number is 90. The age at which he set out to walk 3600 miles, alone, to raise money and awareness for St. Jude. When things didn’t go according to plan, it looked like Troutman’s Trek would be cut short. But help came from unexpected quarters.

Julie Wurl worked at an adult oncology center, so she understood how cancer affects families. But listening to a Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon literally moved her to tears — and to hand-deliver a donation. It was only the beginning for her. Julie’s now the volunteer coordinator for radiothons throughout Wisconsin.

Lindsay Walter wasn’t a St. Jude patient, but she could relate to part of what pediatric cancer patients face. She’s bald. Not because of the effects of cancer treatment, but a condition called alopecia. A wig covered her baldness but didn’t help her self-confidence. Then one day this St. Jude Hero had an epiphany.

John is an endurance runner, and a St. Jude dad. When the St. Jude Memphis Marathon went virtual in 2020, he decided to run each event in a way that symbolized his family’s experience with childhood cancer. Like running in wet sand. Like running on a treadmill with the elevation high. But it was the full marathon that was most meaningful reflection of where they had been as a family.

Sarah Emerson’s love of running began with small steps — from a treadmill to a 10K and eventually up to marathons. Along the way, she added meaning to the miles by running as a St. Jude Hero. Then Sarah was diagnosed cancer. She responded with her greatest feat of running — completing the Boston Marathon, near the end of treatment, for the benefit of St. Jude.

John Bennett’s involvement with the St. Jude Memphis Marathon has been long-standing and sometimes, long-distance. He ran the inaugural event in 2002. Ten years later, he ran in Afghanistan. Within the confines of a forwarding operating base, to be exact, and with fellow service members he recruited to the cause. Today, John supports the mission of St. Jude as an employee of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude.

If running a marathon is hard, what is running a marathon clad in 45 pounds of firefighting equipment? For first responder Jose Zambrano, it’s a way to attract attention to the charities he supports. As a St. Jude Hero, “Fireman Joe” has run dozens of marathons with the St. Jude logo affixed to his helmet and the St. Jude mission close to his heart.

Missy “hates” running, so why has she run so many marathons? Because of the cause — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is treating her daughter, Julie, for a brain tumor. How grateful is Missy for Julie’s care and the research behind it? This year’s St. Jude Memphis Marathon will be her eighth, and overall it will be the 19th marathon she’s run in support of St. Jude.

Jared commanded the first all-civilian space flight, raising more than $250 million to benefit St. Jude. And although he'd been to space, he had yet to visit the St. Jude campus. His experience here showed him yet another link between space exploration and the discoveries made on earth.

St. Jude employee, Hayley Arceneaux, became the first childhood cancer survivor in space in 2021. Her favorite moment in orbit? Reconnecting with her patients back at St. Jude.