St. Jude Hospital History

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital performs important pediatric cancer research.

Actor Danny Thomas was just a struggling young father when he began to pray to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, to help him find his way in life. That belief in the power of prayer gave the young man hope---and also gave birth to a vision for a shrine to his favorite saint that would give hope to others.

The Vision

When Thomas sought guidance from St. Jude for his life and career, he promised that he would build a shrine to the saint. As his career flourished, he began to discuss with friends what concrete form his promise might take. Eventually, the idea of a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, emerged. With the help of a group of Memphis business leaders, funds were raised and the hospital became a reality in 1962.

Building Support

Thomas, the son of immigrants, encouraged other Americans of Arab-speaking descent to join him in the building and providing long-term support of the hospital. In 1957, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) was formed expressly for this purpose. It is responsible for all of the hospital's fundraising.

Contributions

While the original mission was to create a research hospital that would aggressively fight all catastrophic childhood diseases, St. Jude has made its greatest strides in the treatment of childhood cancers. Of particular note is its advancements in the treatment of pediatric leukemias.

References

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: History