St. Jude Walk returns to Tampa as local family shares cancer journey
Walking to end childhood cancer
The St. Jude Walk and 5K Run will be held Saturday, September 26, at Benchmark Arena in Tampa. FOX 13's Kellie Cowan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The St. Jude Walk and 5K Run will be held Saturday, September 26, at Benchmark Arena in Tampa.
The event is part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and is designed to bring families, survivors and supporters together to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
A Tampa survivor story
The backstory:
The event opens at 6:45 a.m. at Benchmark Arena, located at 401 Channelside Drive. Participants can walk, run or join virtually.
Registration is available online through the St. Jude Walk Tampa website.
The event is free to attend and participate in, but organizers encourage donations and fundraising to support St. Jude patients and research.
Christina Grimsley’s son, Caleb, was three years old when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT).
The family learned St. Jude Children's Research Hospital had an expert who treated ATRT, as well as a clinical trial he could join.
Within days, St. Jude arranged the family’s flights to and lodging in Memphis. Caleb spent about a year at the hospital undergoing surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Grimsley said Caleb eventually returned home with no evidence of disease. He is now 11 years old and has started sixth grade.
"He loves basketball, he loves fishing, he’s very active and loves to cook," Grimsley said. "He’s just the most fun little boy and I can’t imagine our family without him. It just would not be complete without him."
Grimsley said St. Jude gave her family hope during an overwhelming time.
"They really just take care of everything and allow the parents to focus on their child," she said. "Your job as a parent in that role is to just make sure that your child gets better."
She also said the hospital works to give patients a sense of normalcy, with art therapy, toy rooms, therapy dogs and music lessons.
"Everybody is happy and cheery and the kids are having a great time. St. Jude does so much for them to give them a great childhood," Grimsley said. "You almost forget these kids are so sick because they don’t even act like it some days."
St. Jude is unique in that they cover the cost of all care in addition to living expenses for families during the child's treatment. The hospital also shares its research with hospitals and medical communities around the world.
"One of the main questions I get is, 'why should I support a hospital in Memphis?' and it's like, because they help hospitals everywhere. The protocol that we helped develop for ATRT was then shared with hospitals in Orlando, so now families wouldn't even have to necessarily travel to St. Jude. They could be treated locally. And that's the goal. The goal is to cure cancer and also keep kids in the most normal childhood that they can have," Grimsley said.
Walking toward the future
What's next:
The St. Jude Walk and 5K Run will be held Saturday, September 26, at Benchmark Arena.
The event includes an opening ceremony, a kids' dash, the 5K walk/run and a celebration party. People can register as individuals, join a team, donate or participate virtually.
The Source: Information for this story comes from a conversation with Christina Grimsley, Caleb’s mother, and St. Jude Walk Tampa event and information and registration page.