15 June 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — KSN has partnered with St. Jude again in the fight against childhood cancer with the 8th Annual Wichita St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. Our mission is to raise over $1,300,000 for the kids of St. Jude.
At 18 months old, Bella was diagnosed with a rare cancer that affected her optic nerve.
When her family could not get help anywhere else, St. Jude stepped in.
“They offered hope to my two-year-old daughter,” said Josh, Bella’s dad. “We didn’t know if she’d make it to her next birthday.”
While at St. Jude, Bella would get surgery, chemotherapy treatments, proton beam radiation and more.
“[They] have just been there every step of the way during her diagnosis and treatments,” Josh said. “To have something that’s stable and solid and knowing their reputation that they’re gonna give everything that they have for the cure of your daughter, it just meant the world. It gave us a lot of peace in the midst of a lot of doubt and uncertainty.”
St. Jude was not all about getting pricked and prodded for Bella.
“Things I love about St. Jude are they have like therapy dogs you get to go see and the games,” said Bella.
Bella’s family never received a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
“St. Jude would overnight any prescription we needed, and y’know, one of her chemotherapies was like $13,000, and they’re like, ‘No big deal, we’ll get it on your doorstep,'” said Josh. “St. Jude didn’t care. They just wanted what’s best for the child.”
“You don’t have to worry about it or pay for it, so that just kind of makes me feel good,” Bella said.
Josh said there’s no place like St. Jude.
“It speaks volumes when the rest of the kids wanted to go,” Josh said. “It’s a place that me and my wife made lifelong friends.”
“St. Jude, it just really feels like home,” said Bella.
Josh says that today his daughter is perfectly normal and healthy.
When it comes to reserving a ticket for the 2023 St. Jude Dream Home, Josh said $100 goes a long way when everybody is doing it.
“I would just encourage you to go ahead and just [reserve] these tickets and help our family and other families that are in the fight of their lives,” said Josh.
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, click here.