Meet St. Jude Patient Kyla

Meet St. Jude Patient Kyla

As you continue training and fundraising as a St. Jude Hero, here’s why St. Jude Heroes are so important to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. Meet St. Jude Kyla. Hopefully, when reading her St. Jude story, you will receive extra motivation for an upcoming training run or an additional push for your fundraising efforts. Thanks for all you do for the kids of St. Jude.


Just before her second birthday, Kyla began to vomit and have frequent high fevers. The doctor determined she had the flu, but Kyla’s mother, Courtney, felt uneasy about the diagnosis. Over the next six months, more trips to the doctor followed.

Kyla’s symptoms grew worse. She had trouble walking and reverted back to crawling. She lost weight and became sensitive to light. A CT scan revealed a brain tumor.

The next day, Kyla had surgery at her local children’s hospital and was found to suffer from ependymoma. During dinner at a local Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurant, Courtney saw a table top display about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® that featured a patient who, like Kyla, had been diagnosed with ependymoma. It felt like a sign, and the family obtained a referral.

At St. Jude, Kyla had a second surgery. Doctors were able to perform a total resection of the tumor. She then had several weeks of radiation.

Kyla now returns to St. Jude for regular checkups. She has been cancer free since December 2006.

How to Stay Injury-Free While Training

St. Jude Heroes attending the Pasta Party on December 4 the night before the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend races will have the opportunity to hear from running guru Hal Higdon. With more than 50 years in the running business and an author of more than 30 books, Hal has released another helpful guide properly entitled Marathon. During his visit with St. Jude Heroes, Hal will give his perspective on running and share tips that will enhance any runner’s experience.

As you continue your training process, here are some helpful tips that Hal has shared with us about how to avoid injury. What are some tips that you find helpful as you train? Share them with us below.

How to Avoid Injuries
By Hal Higdon

Many injuries suffered by runners are unnecessary. To experience fewer injuries than I the past, you must learn from your mistakes. Once you make a training error and suffer an injury, you will not make that error again. If you are new to running or need a reminder about how to stay health, here are some tips:
1. Obtain proper equipment. Few sports cost as little as running. Our main item of equipment is a pair of running shoes, costing less than $100 for most people. Acquire shoes that are appropriate for your biomechanics. And when the shoes begin to show wear, throw them away. Most running injuries can be traced to the point where the shoe touches the ground.

2. Train Intelligently. Don't just stumble from one workout to another, not knowing what you plan to run tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year. Set goals, but give yourself time to meet those goals. If you don't have a coach, there are many training resources online: both schedules and answers to your questions.

3. Keep a Diary. You don’t need to record ever workout in detail, but record trends so that if you do get hurt you can look back and figure out why.

4. Never Get Out of Shape. This is the simplest secret for avoiding injury: Keep running. Maintaining a solid base level of fitness means that when you want to increase your training to achieve a specific goal, such as a marathon, you don’t need to push too hard or too fast. Mileage increases should be made gradually.

Welcome to the New St. Jude Heroes Blog

Welcome to the New St. Jude Heroes Blog

Welcome to the new St. Jude Heroes blog! We hope you will find our blog informative and inspiring as you continue your St. Jude Heroes journey. Most importantly, we want to hear from YOU so get involved and post your comments below. The St. Jude Heroes program helps give hope to thousands of children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases at St. Jude. Check back often for training and fundraising tips, St. Jude Hero profiles and St. Jude patient stories.

Today, we are sharing fundraising tips – How to Raise $1,000 in 10 Days. Do you have a personal fundraising story or tips that have resulted in great results? How do you stay motivated to fundraise? Share your experience with us.

How to Raise $1,000 in 10 Days

Day 1 – Commit and sponsor yourself. = $100
Day 2 – Ask your company to match your gift. = $100
Day 3 – Ask five friends to donate $20 each. = $100
Day 4 – Ask five family members to donate $20 each. = $100
Day 5 – Ask five business contacts or co-workers to donate $20 each. = $100
Day 6 – Ask someone who has been affected by cancer for support. = $100
Day 7 – Ask five neighbors to donate $20 each. = $100
Day 8 – Send an e-mail to 20 names on your holiday card list and ask for $10 each. = $200
Day 9 – Post your Web page link on your social networking pages (Facebook, etc.) and ask for support. = $50
Day 10 – Ask five people who have asked for your support in the past for $10 each. = $50

10 Day Total = $1,000