Each year, WDEZ Listeners have demonstrated their love and support for the children and families of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

The treatments for pediatric cancer cost on average $425,000, not including housing, travel and food but the individual cost of care can vary greatly. At St. Jude, we have children whose care can surpass more than $1 million per patient for a variety of reasons. Supporters like you mean that No family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

It now costs nearly $1.4 billion per year to run St. Jude and the cost is estimated to grow to approximately $2 billion per year by 2027.

As one of the largest pediatric cancer research hospitals in the world, St. Jude treats about 8,600 patients each year with 77 beds in operation and a license to go up to 80 beds. But our approach is different and has been since we opened the hospital. We believe a child should live as typical a childhood as possible, even when battling life-threatening diseases. That’s why most of our patients are treated as outpatients and stay in one of our housing facilities specifically designed and managed for families of children with cancer and other diseases. Construction of a new housing facility is underway.

On March 25, 2021 the St. Jude Board of Governors approved the largest strategic investment in our nearly 60-year history, committing $11.5 billion during the next six years. The Six-Year St. Jude Strategic Plan focuses on the expansion of patient care and clinical and laboratory-based research related to pediatric catastrophic illnesses, including work in cancer, blood disorders, neurological diseases and infectious diseases. The plan calls for an additional 1,400 jobs; the expenditure of $1.9 billion in new construction, renovation and capital needs; and the development of new research areas.

Donor contributions have saved the lives of thousands of children, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer!