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2000 Soap Box Archives Hope For Our Children I recently attended a meeting of the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of which I am a member. I don’t know how much you all know about St. Jude but it is located in Memphis, Tennessee and was started by Danny Thomas it the sixties. They treat children with catastrophic diseases of all kinds, children from all over the world. They are, as the name implies, a research hospital which maintains state of the art facilities and top research scientists in the field of cancer, AIDS, infectious diseases and any number of illnesses which attack children. During the meeting we were joined by some of the research staff and brought up to date on some of the things they are working on, which includes among other things, an AIDS vaccine. Incredible strides in pediatric medicine have been made in recent years by these outstanding people. They are brilliant and devoted and the things they have on the drawing board are absolutely astounding. There is no way that I can convey all the wonderful things which were revealed to the board but I can tell you that it is mind boggling. For one thing, they have set up a tele medicine capability by which they will able by means of two way television to consult with doctors all over the world, virtually go right into the wards and operating rooms, to make recommendations on procedures, medication and continuing treatment. Even in it’s early stages it is already saving lives. They are also setting up a medical library with up to date information and the latest techniques which will be accessible by computer for any doctor who needs the information. Danny Thomas believed that no child should have to die because they could not afford the treatment they needed and that has become a policy at St. Jude. No one is turned away because of the lack of funds, and some of these children spend literally years at the hospital. Of course, those who can afford to pay or are covered by insurance are expected to pay, but if the insurance runs out the treatment doesn’t. When a child has an extended stay at St. Jude one family member is furnished with a place to stay, usually with the child. A lot of the treatment is done on an out patient variety. I feel so inadequate trying to describe the wonderful things I experienced at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I could tell you that the cure rate is between 70 and 80 percent and growing. I could tell you that some of the most brilliant and dedicated people in the world are burning the midnight oil in search of the answers to some of the most heartbreaking childhood diseases known to man. I could tell you about Jessica Turri, the little girl I met who, after three years of chemotherapy is cured and smiling and living a normal life. I could tell you many things but I would still not scratch the surface of the incredible work going on at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. What I can tell you is that they are expanding the facilities so they can accommodate more people and further their research. And I can tell you that the yearly budget will soon increase to a half billion dollars a year on it’s way to a billion. And I could tell you that the bulk of that budget comes from small donors. Oh sure there are some heavy hitters who contribute millions to the cause, but the major portion comes from working folks who give what they can afford to, whose 20 or 50 dollar donation combined with the donations of other caring people go to put smiles on the faces and hope in the hearts of children all over the world. What I'm trying to say is. I don’t use this column ordinarily to try to raise money for any cause, but in the case of St. Jude I urge you all to participate in the wonderful thing that’s going on in Memphis, Tennessee. God
Bless the Children.
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