18 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Lauren, a St. Jude alumni, cut the ribbon to the 2023 St. Jude Dream Home Thursday. She also got to check out the early bird prize, a 2023 Tucson Limited courtesy of Hatchett Hyundai.
In February of 2002, Lauren was just 11 months old when she was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma in her left eye.
She would go to St. Jude and receive aggressive chemotherapy, cryotherapy and laser therapy before doctors decided to remove her eye.
“Doctors decided to remove my left eye to save my life and prevent from the cancer spreading to the rest of my body,” said Lauren.
Years later, in 2019, Lauren became a St. Jude alumni.
Lauren says she goes to St. Jude about every three to four years now as a part of St. Jude LIFE for research studies to help the children that are there now going through cancer treatment.
Lauren (Courtesy: St. Jude)
Lauren (Courtesy: St. Jude)
Lauren is another former patient that says St. Jude feels like home.
“Like it’s so easy to walk in and feel at home, cause there’s so many fun things to do, the hospitals absolutely beautiful,” Lauren said.
Dana, Lauren’s mom, says St. Jude is so helpful.
“Everybody wants to do everything they can for you, and thankfully because of all the donors that are constantly giving to St. Jude, we were able to get all the help we needed to walk us through step by step the whole way,” said Dana. “So again it was, it was a place of hope from the very first time we stepped in the doors.”
By reserving a ticket for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, you can help St. Jude’s mission of finding cures and saving children.
For more information on the 2023 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway and to reserve a ticket, click here.