4 speakers give stories from their battles with cancer

Up ‘til Dawn, an organization which holds events on campus to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, hosted four speakers on Tuesday who have had experience with St. Jude’s dedication in treating children with cancer.

The speaker panel consisted of ULM students Jameshia Below and Chris Haas, who were treated at St. Jude as children, and Monroe residents Kathryn and Jeff Joyce, who spoke on behalf of their daughter, Katie.

Below shared her experience of a lump forming over her eye when she was 11.

She was advised by doctors to seek treatment at St. Jude in Memphis, Tenn., where she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. She subsequently underwent three months of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and she was declared cured after one year.

Today, Below is cancer-free after seven years, and she is grateful to St. Jude for the care she received.

“St. Jude is an amazing experience,” Below said. “Any other hospital is nothing like it. The doctors care and want to help you, and it is a positive atmosphere.”

The Joyces spoke about their then 2-year-old daughter Katie complaining of headaches in August 2010.

After a CAT scan was performed at

St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Katie was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The family was immediately flown to St. Jude’s campus, where doctors were able to remove the entire tumor in seven and a half hours.

Katie is now cancer-free, and her parents expressed gratitude for the efforts of St. Jude and Up ‘til Dawn.

“Because of St. Jude, we have our little girl.” said Mrs. Joyce.

The final testimony was given by Haas, who experienced fatigue and bruising in the seventh grade.

When a doctor discovered his white blood cell count was abnormally high, he was sent to St. Jude for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

He underwent four months of chemotherapy treatment, and he is now officially cured. He said he considers himself “really blessed.”

All four speakers noted that St. Jude’s mission of not turning any child away because of inability to pay has enormously helped them circumvent the high cost of treatments.

Last year, ULM’s chapter of Up ‘til Dawn raised more than $34 thousand for cancer research.

Executive director Andres Granada and assistant director Sunny Diaz said because Louisiana sends more children to St. Jude than any other state, the donations from ULM greatly impact Louisiana residents.

Devonte Grinstead, a pre-professional health studies sophomore from Natchitoches, said, “I thought [the event] was very informative. I didn’t know St. Jude…gave all that support. I want to start donating.