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50 Years of St. Jude
“No child should die in the dawn of life.” This beautiful philosophy has been the ideal behind St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since it opened doors in 1962. Today St. Jude has become a leading institution in medical research and pediatric treatment against cancer and other childhood illnesses.
Its founder Danny Thomas, a well-known entertainer in the 50s, built the hospital as a promise to St. Jude for having showed him a way in life.
His influence and good heart helped him achieve the support from artist friends and businessmen in Memphis who were moved by his dream. He also received support from an organization that shared his cultural background and was dedicated to giving back to different American causes in appreciation for the opportunities they received as immigrants.
The beginning of ALSAC and St. Jude
With that sponsorship, Danny founded the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) in 1957, a non-profit organization committed to finding the necessary funds to build a pediatric cancer hospital for children of any race, religion or economic background.
ALSAC made possible the inauguration of the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee in 1962, and they selected this city because of the need for a medical institution that would offer comprehensive services in the region. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute and one of the only cancer research centers where families don’t pay the hospital for treatment.
St. Jude today
St. Jude is currently expanding its Memphis facilities and has affiliated hospitals in Peoria, Illinois, Shreveport, Louisiana, baton Rouge, Louisiana y Johnson City, Tennessee. Internationally, they have affiliated clinics in Brasil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, el Salvadir, Filipinas, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Lebanon, Marroco, Mexico and Venezuela.
They also offer medical collaboration in Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Singapore and Russia. Collectively, these international clinics have treated over 16,000 children in the past year and about 9,000 patients in Latin America are being treated with a medical protocol developed with the help of St. Jude.
ALSAC is still in charge of finding the financial resources for the treatment of patients and medical research thanks to public donations, investments, insurances and the federal support of National Institutes if Health and National Cancer Institute.
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