St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric and research hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The not-for-profit facility was founded by actor Danny Thomas. According to the hospital's website, when Thomas' career began to flourish in the 1950's, he never forgot a pledge he made to St. Jude, the patron saint of the hopeless- to build a facility to help those in need and not able to pay for their health care. Thomas established a place to help children in need, regardless of background or ability to pay. The hospital opened in 1962.
St. Jude Hospital's efforts must be far-reaching as this billboard stands high over West Wendover Avenue where it intersects with Battleground. The slogan in Spanish acknowledges that the hospital exists because of the children. Since the hospital opened in 1962, the survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer has risen from 4% to 94%.* While many, many research facilitities contributed to that heartwarming statictic, to be sure, St. Jude's researchers have contributed significantly. As we cruise down Wendover, so close to Brooks Global Elementary and Grimsley High School, and see the sign, it is nice to reflect on what has been done and what we can do personally to help all children be as healthy and happy as possible.
That is a great legacy!
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 04:12 PM