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The Child Life Program strives to minimize the stress and anxiety that many kids have when they have to stay in the hospital. Your child's normal development can be affected when battling a serious illness. The work of the Child Life Specialists can assist with your child/teen with living as close to a normal life as possible. They do this by providing opportunities to gain a sense of mastery, play, learning, self-expression, family involvement and peer interaction.

Many of Child Life's goals are achieved through play and expressive activities, since they are the way children and teens express themselves and learn. Your child/teen may not be able to express himself verbally. However, his feelings and misconceptions about treatment may be observed through play and other activities. Medical play gives your child/teen the opportunity to rehearse his medical experiences and gain a sense of mastery over procedures.

Child Life uses play to promote your child's growth and development, because it is important for your child to continue achieving developmental milestones while receiving his treatment. If your child comes to the hospital already delayed in his development or becomes delayed due to treatment, Child Life Spcialists will work with your child to promote his optimum development. Child Life and other disciplines in the hospital may also help you with your parenting skills.

Education is another important role of the Child Life Program. The school program is composed of three components. Homebound teachers will work individually with your child if he is at the hospital for an extended period of time. Computer assisted instruction is also available to your child if he is at the hospital for shorter periods. Finally, Child Life staff may provide educational interventions that are not aspects of other components.

Child Life staff uses volunteers to support other services provided in the hospital, including respite care for inpatients, opportunities for recreation, and toys or games for stimulation.

A staff member, parent or patient can contact Child Life for any of the above services.

Saddle Up for St. Jude

Saddle Up for St. Jude is a fun, community trail-riding event

Saddle Up for St. Jude is a volunteer-based, fund-raising event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in which participants take part in a fun horseback trail ride. Participants receive sponsorship materials and then contact family and friends to gather donations for taking part in the ride. In addition to providing great publicity for your group or organization, the program brings members of the community together through volunteering and fund raising.

How does Saddle Up work?

The program is very flexible. Typically, Saddle Up events are based around a trail ride, but many have expanded to incorporate additional events to raise funds such as:

DancesChili DinnersHay RidesLivestock CompetitionsRiding Competitions

Why host a Saddle Up event?

Provide a meaningful event to expose your community to horseback riding and your organizationGenerate press coverage for your group or organizationCreate partnerships between you and area businesses as you collect donationsPlay a vital part in the fight against childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases

What does St. Jude provide?

An informational video about St. Jude that includes patient storiesA Saddle Up for St. Jude poster to publize your eventAn event guide that offers ideas and suggestions to help make your event a success

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Coordinator or would like to participate in a Saddle Up event, please call 1-800-567-0675. St. Jude also provides a toll-free support line available to all coordinators Monday through Friday.

St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway

You can win a house or other great prizes by participating in the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the world’s premier pediatric cancer research center. Unite with communities across the country by reserving your $100 ticket to qualify to win a home valued between $200,000 and $420,000 in cities where the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is being held. Tickets are reserved on a limited basis. Additional prizes including jewelry, shopping sprees, automobiles and groceries increase your odds of winning.

For more information about participating in a St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway in your area, contact [email protected] . You could win a house. You will make a difference.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

Federal and state laws restrict the online sale of St. Jude Dream Home tickets to only those state or local residents who specifically meet the requirements as set forth in the applicable statutes and regulations in the attached terms and conditions. St. Jude does not currently allow Dream Home raffle ticket purchases to be made online by any person outside the scope of the applicable statutes, regulations and the attached terms and conditions.

St. Jude does not allow any illegal participation in a Dream Home raffle.

Toll free telephone services and Internet services are provided as a convenience to St. Jude supporters and friends. Reservations do not constitute the sale of a ticket by telephone or by mail. Reservations will be verified and processed by a local St. Jude representative. Confirmation will be mailed in two to three weeks. Entry numbers will be listed on the confirmation.

Jordyn Waller
2 years old

Diagnosis:

Jordyn was found to suffer from neuroblastoma, stage IV, in August 2007. Neuroblastoma is a common solid tumor of childhood.

Jordyn's story:

At 2 years old, Jordyn is a happy toddler who loves painting, bubbles and teddy bears. But in early August, he wasn't feeling well. His symptoms mirrored the ones he had seven months earlier, when doctors said he had pneumonia. Concerned, his father Johnny took him to the local children's hospital for X-rays. Again, doctors said pneumonia. Later that day, though, Jordyn's pediatrician called. He had seen the X-rays and felt something was amiss. He wanted Jordyn to have a CT scan right away.

The CT scan revealed Jordyn suffered from neuroblastoma. "My first thought was how is it possible my 2-year-old has cancer?" Johnny recalled. Told they would have to wait the weekend before anything could happen, Johnny immediately got on the Internet and found information about neuroblastoma and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. While the local hospital wanted Jordyn to remain there for treatment, Johnny was adamant he get his son to St. Jude. Nine hours later, exhausted from the drive and uncertain about Jordyn's future, father and son arrived in Memphis.

At St. Jude

Upon their arrival, Johnny was amazed at how kind and caring everyone was. At St. Jude, Jordyn's tumor was removed and he was placed on a chemotherapy-based protocol that will last for two years. Johnny believes his son is receiving the best care possible at St. Jude. "His tumor was removed within a month of our arriving," he said. "Jordyn has a better chance to survive here, period. Better protocols. Better treatment."

It's not just the care Jordyn receives that Johnny appreciates; everything about St. Jude is designed to help make the family's life easier. "They have lots of activities for the kids," he said, "and everyone is so nice." And the fact that St. Jude provides housing, transportation and meals for patients and their families amazes him, because having these things taken care of means he can focus all of his attention on Jordyn. About the donors who help support St. Jude, Johnny said, "They do wonderful things for children here. I tell everyone I meet they need to support St. Jude."

May 2007

Current News

03/07/2007 Major gene study uncovers secrets of leukemia

Investigators at St. Jude have discovered previously unsuspected mutations that contribute to the formation of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common cancer in children.

02/14/2007 Protein sensor for fatty acid buildup in mitochondria

Just as homes have smoke detectors, cells have an enzyme that responds to a buildup of fatty acids by triggering the production of a key molecule in the biochemical pathway that breaks down these fatty acids, according to investigators at St. Jude.

02/12/2007 Flu shot might also offer some protection against H5N1

The yearly influenza vaccine that health officials urge people to get each fall might also offer certain individuals some cross protection against the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, according to investigators at St. Jude.

02/01/2007 Sentry enzyme blocks two paths to Parkinson's disease

The degeneration of brain cells that occurs in Parkinson's disease may be caused by either externally provoked cell death or internally initiated suicide when the molecule that normally prevents these fatal alternatives is missing, according to St. Jude.

01/26/2007 Disorderly protein brings order to cell division

The secret to the ability of a molecule critical for cell division to throw off the protein yoke that restrains its activity is the yoke itself--a disorderly molecule that seems to have a mind of its own, say investigators at St. Jude.

01/24/2007 Chopping off protein puts immune cells into high gear

The complex task of launching a well-organized, effective immune system attack on specific targets is thrown into high gear when either of two specific enzymes chop a protein called LAG-3 off the immune cells leading that battle, according to St. Jude.

01/16/2007 Chemical switch triggers critical cell activities

The freeze-frame image of a molecular relay race, in which one enzyme passes off a protein like a baton to another enzyme, has solved a key mystery to how cells control some vital functions, according to investigators at St. Jude.

01/16/2007 Brain tumor researchers find their "niche"

Demonstration by St. Jude researchers that special niches made of capillaries protect and stimulate cancer stem cells in the brain explains the origin of these cancers and their reappearance following treatment.

12/21/2006 Genetically modified cells attack tumors

Mice with neuroblastoma tumors have been successfully treated with genetically modified cells that sought out the cancer cells and activated a chemo drug directly at those sites.

12/21/2006 St. Jude and El Salvador create research ethics committee

The establishment of research ethics committees in El Salvador will enhance the ability of that country to undertake clinical trials aimed at improving cure rates of pediatric catastrophic diseases, according to investigators from St. Jude.

12/07/2006 Aggressive stem cells might improve transplant outcome

St. Jude researchers find that harvesting aggressive stem cells from donated bone marrow could speed rebuilding of the immune system, reduce risk of infection.

12/05/2006 Cancer drug side effect caused by cell "pump" problem

A troublesome side effect caused by some cancer drugs appears to be caused by a broken "pump" in the liver that fails to push these medicines into a "drain," according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

St. Jude Facts

St. Jude has treated children from every state in the U.S. and from more than 70 other countries. The founder of St. Jude was a famous actor from the 1950s named Danny Thomas. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, is also a famous actress who starred in a hit show called That Girl. She is now a national spokesperson for St. Jude.

All kinds of famous people have supported St. Jude: Pro Golfer Tiger Woods; singers Tina Turner and Amy Grant; basketball great Michael Jordan; ice skater Scott Hamilton; and movie and television stars like Ray Romano, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Jennifer Aniston.

Kids who come to St. Jude for treatment stay in Memphis Grizzlies House, Ronald McDonald House or Target House. This gives them the chance to live as normal a life as possible while undergoing treatment.

Amber Valletta, a supermodel and actress, first learned about St. Jude when she did the Math-A-Thon in school. She is now a member of a board that advises St. Jude. And Hollywood Director Tom Shadyac, who has made films like Ace Ventura, Nutty Professor, Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, is also a St. Jude supporter.

The most important supporters of St. Jude are not famous people. Millions of people like you support St. Jude through small donations or by volunteering to participate in events. Together, all these people make Danny Thomas’ dream possible: that no child should die in the dawn of life.We are a beacon of light in a parent's darkest night. We are where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do more science, more quickly. Where doctors across the world send their toughest cases and most vulnerable patients. Where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay. We've built America's 3rd-largest health-care charity, with a model that keeps the costs down and the funds flowing, so the science never stops.

We are a legendary hub of achievement and accomplishment. We were, in fact, the first to cure the most common form of childhood leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), helping to drive the cure rate from 4% in 1962 to over 80% today. We've recently pioneered a unique procedure allowing children to receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant from a parent without an exact marrow match. We are home to the team currently pioneering the development of a new, multi-envelop HIV vaccine designed to combat all the natural strains of the virus, and the only pediatric health facility in the world to build our own on-site facility to manufacture highly specialized life-saving drugs.

ST.JUDE.ORG
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ST. JUDE NEWS

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization.

To support the St. Jude 2006 Thanks and Giving campaign, Target has created a plush elephant gift card holder. For every plush elephant sold (priced at $2.99) a minimum of $1.50 will go to St. Jude. The plush elephant will be available at Target stores nationwide beginning November 5.

Elephants symbolize family, remembering loved ones and helping others in need – traits that St. Jude and elephants share. The ears of the elephant gift card holder are decorated with whimsical snowflakes that were designed by Julia, a St. Jude patient and Target House resident. Target House is the home-away-from-home for families whose children are receiving life-saving treatment at St. Jude.

Music:

"Do you know..." Info Sheets - An educational series for patients and their families Below you will find a complete alphabetized list of all "Do you know..." patient and family education information sheets. To view the info sheets by category, click on the listing to the left.

About Aspergillus Fungal Infections About Candida Fungal Infections About Chickenpox About Fentanyl Patches About Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Active shoulder range of motion ACU isolation to help prevent infection After High Dose Methotrexate for Leukemia After High Dose Methotrexate for Solid Tumors After oral surgery Ankle Foot Orthosis Articulation Avascular Necrosis Blood Counts Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy Brachytherapy Brain Crew Breastfeeding and milk storage Breastfeeding Room CADD Prizm® pump alarms Calcium: Building Your Bones the Tasty Way Calculating the ANC Caring for Your Skin During Radiation Therapy Child Language Children and Hearing Aids Children and Teens Taking Antidepressants Children Learn Through Play Clean Hands Collecting Urine Cultures from Children and Teens Collecting Urine Cultures from Infant Boys Collecting Urine Cultures from Infant Girls Comfort Items Continuous Passive Motion Daily Care for Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids Daily Care for In-the-Ear (ITE) Hearing Aids Daily Weights Eating Safely Effects of Hearing Loss Elbow, forearm, and wrist range of motion Endotracheal Prosthesis Epidural Pain Relief Exercise and General Fitness External Shunts Focusing on Hope Food Diary Foods with Potassium Gastrostomy Tube (G tube) and Button Giving IV fluids at home Giving Medicines at Home Great Books for Children 5 to 8 Years Old Great Books for Children 8 to 12 Years Old Great Books for Infants and Toddlers Great Books for Preschoolers Great Books for Young Adults Hamstring Flexibility Harvesting Bone Marrow Stem Cells Hearing Aid Myths and Facts Hearing Aids in Teens and Adults Helping Your Child/Teen Cope with Body Changes Helping Your Preschool Child Cope with Death Helping Your School-Age Child Cope with Death Helping Your Teenager Cope with Death High Magnesium Foods High Phosphorus Foods How Patients and Siblings React to Hospital Care How to Check Urine for Glucose and Ketones How to Give Subcutaneous Injections How to Help Your Child Gain Weight How to Keep a Food Diary How to Prevent Infection How to Take a Temperature How to Use a Cane How to Use a Particulate Mask How to Use a Walker How to Use Crutches Incentive Spirometer Introduction to Radiation Therapy Iron Overload Evaluation Is Your Child's Backpack Making the Grade? IV Pump Safety for Patients Language Development - 0 (Birth) to 1 Year Language Development - 1 to 2 Years Language Development - 2 to 3 Years Language Development - 3 to 4 years Language Development - 4 to 5 years Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center Low Bacteria Diet Low Bacteria Diet - Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Low Bacteria Diet - AML Measuring intake and output for inpatients Medication Effects on Hearing Medicine Room Guidelines Middle Ear Dysfunction and Hearing Loss Modified Barium Swallow Test Mouth Care Nasogastric Tube (NG tube) Nerve block injections and infusions Neuropathic Pain Noise and Hearing Loss Noisy Toys, Dangerous Play NPO - No Food/Drink Before Anesthesia One-Handed Shoe Tying Oral Motor Stimulation Oximeter Passive shoulder range of motion Patient Financial Responsibility Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation Peripheral Neuropathy Pharmacokinetics Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) Therapy Preparing for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Preparing for Surgery and Other Procedures Preparing Your Child / Teen for Radiation Preparing your child for the radiation simulation Preventing Falls Programming the Curlin pump for Continuous Infusion TPN Programming the Curlin pump for cycled infusion TPN Protecting caregivers from drug hazards Reading Readiness: Helpful Web Sites Receiving a Blood Transfusion Rehabilitation and Stem Cell Transplant Returning IV Pumps Routine discharge from the hospital Sensorineural Hearing Loss Sex and Treatment Sitz Bath Stay Active and Feel Better Subcutaneous Tissue Infusion Set Symptoms of a Blood Product Transfusion Reaction Talking to Your Child / Teen about Having a Solid Tumor Talking with Your Child / Teen about Having a Brain Tumor Talking with Your Child / Teen about Having Leukemia Temperature Conversion The Signs of Infection Throwing Away Sharp Objects Safely Timed Urine Collections Total Body Irradiation Before Stem Cell Transplant TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) TPN at Home TPN Steps for Home Use - Continuous TPN Steps for Home Use - Cycled Treatment Risks if Pregnant Tube Feeding Unilateral Hearing Loss Use of TENS for Pain Relief Using Comfort Positions During Stressful Events Using L·M·X 4 TM Lidocaine Cream Using ReadyMED® medicine system Ventriculo-Peritoneal Shunts Visiting Guidelines Voice Disorders What is the After Completion of Therapy (ACT) Clinic? What to Do When You Have Diarrhea What to eat for GVHD of the gut What You Can Do to Help Your Child in Pain When Hands Need Help When the Primary Clinics are Closed When to Telephone IDS/TTU Who to Call? When to Phone? Withdrawing Medicine from a Vial Word-Finding

Movies:

Inherited genes linked to toxicity of leukemia therapy

Memphis, Tennessee, May 11, 2007

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered inherited variations in certain genes that make children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) susceptible to the toxic side effects caused by chemotherapy medications. The researchers showed that these variations, called polymorphisms, occur in specific genes known to influence pharmacodynamics (how drugs work in the body and how much drug is needed to have its intended effect).

The findings, made during a study of 240 children, are important because these side effects in ALL can be life-threatening and interrupt delivery of treatment, increasing the risk of relapse. The new insights gained in this study could help individualize ALL chemotherapy according to a patient's inherited tendencies to develop toxic reactions to specific drugs.

"Such individualized therapy would eliminate the time-consuming trial-and-error approach to finding the right dose for a patient," said Mary Relling, Pharm.D., chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences department at St. Jude. "When the results of our findings are translated into routine clinical care, we should see less toxicity among children being treated for ALL." Relling is senior author of a report of this work that appears in the May 15 issue of Blood.

The St. Jude team extracted DNA from healthy white blood cells of patients and looked for 16 polymorphisms previously known to be present in genes linked to drug pharmacodynamics. Using a variety of statistical analyses, the investigators identified links between specific polymorphisms and gastrointestinal, infectious, hepatic (liver) and neurologic toxicities during each phase of treatment. The three treatment phases were induction, the initial phase designed to cause remission of the cancer; consolidation, the follow-up after induction; and consolidation, the final phase to ensure comprehensive elimination of cancer cells.

The study showed that some of the 16 genetic polymorphisms are linked to toxic side effects during more than one treatment phase; and some caused more than one type of toxicity. Certain polymorphisms were linked to the pharmacokinetics of specific drugs—how drugs are absorbed by the body, distributed, chemically modified or broken down and eliminated. Variations in pharmacokinetics can alter the levels of drugs in the body, leading to ineffective or toxic levels in individual patients.

For example, during the induction phase, when a variety of different types of chemotherapy drugs are used, polymorphisms in the two genes that were part of a biochemical pathway that breaks down chemotherapy drugs were linked to gastrointestinal toxicity and infection, respectively. In the consolidation phase, when drugs called antifolates were the main treatment, a folate was linked to gastrointestinal toxicity, as it was during the continuation phase. And in all three phases, one polymorphism was linked to hyperbilirubinemia, or jaundice, partly caused by the drug methotrexate.

"Scientists at St. Jude and elsewhere have dramatically improved survival rates from childhood leukemia, but it's still challenging to find the right dose for each patient," said Rochelle Long, Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health Pharmacogenetics Research Network. "By finding specific genetic variations linked to how individual patients respond to therapy, this work will make medicines safer and more effective for everyone."

Other authors of this work include Shinji Kishi, Cheng Cheng, Deborah French, Deqing Pei, Nobuko Hijiya, Ching-Hon Pui and William Evans (St. Jude); Soma Das and Edwin Cook (University of Chicago); Carmelo Rizzari (University of Milan, Italy), Gary Rosner (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston) and Tony Frudakis (DNAPrint Genomics, Sarasota, Fla.).

This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute; the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Database; a Center of Excellence grant from the State of Tennessee and ALSAC.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization.

Television:

After you look at all the parts of our name, you start to see what St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is about. We're looking for cures for kids with serious diseases like cancer.
Cancer is a pretty scary thing. Mostly we hear about grown-ups getting cancer. But sometimes kids get it, too. So we're working really hard — all of us: the doctors, nurses, scientists, everyone! — to save kids who get it.
St. Jude is in Memphis, Tennessee, which is right about in the middle of the country. That's a good place for us to be because kids from every state in the U.S. come here for treatment. We've also had kids come from more than 70 other countries. That's all around the world!
It takes a lot of money to run a huge research hospital like St. Jude. In fact, it takes over a million dollars a day! Where does all that money come from? It comes from millions of people like you who support St. Jude through small donations or by volunteering to participate in events. Together, all these people make possible, that no child should die in the dawn of life.

Books:

St. Jude Teenagers Speak Out

Getting started at St. Jude can be pretty scary and chances are that you have a lot of questions on your mind. So who better to answer your questions than our teen patients themselves?

See what the teen have to say about their first day, hair loss, child life and the teen room.

What were your first thoughts when you found out you were coming to St. Jude?

"I was scared and I wanted to know what was wrong with me." 14-year-old girl

"I didn't know what to think." 15-year-old girl

"I was scared, but the people are so nice it helps to make you feel better." 18 year old boy

"I was thinking what it would be like to be a cancer patient. I was scared, I didn't want to believe it." 14 year old girl

"I thought I was going to the best place to be treated." 15 year old boy

What is it like to be a teen being treated at St. Jude?

"It's not that bad because you're older and you know what is going on compared to the children who don't know." 16 year old girl

"At first, it seemed like no other teens were here and it was mostly smaller kids, but once I got involved in activities and was feeling better from chemo I was able to make lots of friends and keep myself occupied." 15 year old girl

"Cool because of the teen room." 14 year old girl

"It is never fun getting treatment, but with child life here it is fun to be in the hospital." 14 year old boy

What was your first day at St. Jude like?

"Confusing." 15 year old boy

"It was scary, but the people at St. Jude made it easier." 18 year old boy

"It felt like the longest day of my life." 19 year old girl

"It seemed like everyone knew me and I seemed to fit right in." 14 year old girl

Did you lose your hair from treatment?

"Yes, I loved it because I love my hair short anyway so bald was awesome." 14 year old boy

"Yeah, just wear hats and bandannas. If you don't think about it, then you feel just the same or at least I do. Besides, I look cute in hats." 14 year old girl

"Yes. When I lost my hair, I wore hats and head scarves a lot, but after a while, I got more comfortable and now I hardly wear them at all. I've realized that there are so many other more important priorities to worry about than hair loss." 15 year old girl

"Yes. I shaved my head when it first fell out." 18 year old boy

"Yes. Don't worry, it will come back." 14 year old girl

What is Child Life and how do Child Life Specialists help you?

"Child life is a group of people who are there to help you deal with your pain, and when they do it really helps a lot. They can also make you feel better about your pain and make you think everything will be alright." 18 year old boy

"Heather (the child life specialist) gives us fun things to do to take our minds off of chemo and other things." 14 year old girl

"Child life specialists help you do things you are accustomed to in life. The specialist can help by taking my mind off of my illness and also help me to think about more positive things." 19 year old girl

"Child life specialist can help in many ways. They not only become your friends, but give you someone to talk to." 15 year old girl

What is the teen room all about?

"The teen room is a place to go to get away from all of the pressures of tests, treatments, sickness and hurting." 18 year old boy

"It's about having fun and being yourself." 14 year old girl

"Having fun with other teens. Being away from parents, nurses, doctors…" 14 year old girl

"It gives teens a chance to be somewhat 'normal teens' away from their parents. Teens can meet new people and make new friends." 15 year old girl

"It's a place where the teens go to hang out and just relax and do different things like play games and watch movies." 16 year old girl

What advice would you give to a newly diagnosed teenager?

"I would say to be strong…bring something you love to do, it will help pass the time." 18 year old boy

"To make their time better what they really need to do is make friends, it really helps." 14 year old girl

"Just tell them to be themselves." 14 year old girl

"Be prepared for anything. Make friends. If your doctors won't listen, make them." 14 year old girl

"Go to the teen room and have fun." 14 year old girl

"When you come, bring your best spirit. Your spirit means and makes everything." 19 year old girl

"Don't worry about things you can't control. Bring a lot of faith and never give up hope. Also get involved in the events that are provided. Keep yourself busy and keep a smile on your face." 15 year old girl

"Expect to be not really scared, because not everything will make you scared." 16 year old girl

"You are in the best place in the world!" 14 year old girl

Heroes:

Caylee's Hope, Keep her story alive!