Walking in Memphis
Marc Cohn
Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W. C. Handy
Won’t you look down over me
Yeah I got a first class ticket
But I’m as blue as a girl can be
[Chorus]
Then I’m walking in Memphis
I was Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis But do I really feel the way I feel
Cole Peterson’s St. Jude Story
Deep in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee sits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
a place where hope resides if your not denied admission. Its founder, Danny Thomas,
built the hospital as promise to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes.
Thomas, an American of Lebanese descent, was struggling to take his career to the next level
and asked the saint to help him find his way in life. In return, he promised to build him a shrine.
In the years that followed, Thomas’ career flourished.
He fulfilled his promise to the saint.
Today that shrine is known as St. Jude Children’s Hospital – a beacon of hope to thousands
of families whose children who are battling cancer.
“My favorite part of it was that a man, basically the one and only Danny Thomas
made St. Jude without knowing of (what) good things it would do to this world,” said Jesse,
a patient at St. Jude with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer.
The research hospital was created more than 50 years ago and since then has been leading
the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer.
“We chose (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) because of the treatment plan, so (St. Jude) focuses
on research. That’s huge when only four percent of government funding goes to childhood cancer research, ”
said Christen Peterson, the mother of Cole, a patient at St. Jude. “(It) is five years advanced, five years ahead
of typical hospitals throughout the country, in terms of treating kids with cancer,
and especially my son with medulloblastoma.”
The cost of the treatment for just one child is around $425,000
Cole is an active kid who enjoys hiking with his dog, Stannis.
Even a brain tumor can’t diminish his love of life and its adventures.
Dogs are Cole’s main love. He’s happiest when his dog, Stannis, is running alongside him.
“But he also loves nature,” said his mom, Christen. “He’s very eco-friendly. He’s a tree-hugger.”
“Cole loves being outdoors,” agreed Eric, his dad.
“He loves to camp and hike our
local hills and trails.”
A year ago, Cole’s family was set off track when they learned he suffered from a rare,
cancerous brain tumor called a medulloblastoma.
He underwent surgery at a local hospital to remove the tumor.
After Cole recovered, his parents turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for his continuing care.
St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means
doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
Cole’s treatment at St. Jude included 30 rounds of proton therapy and four rounds of chemotherapy.
“Because Cole’s type of medulloblastoma was low risk, he was able to receive reduced chemotherapy and
proton therapy, which means reduced side effects,” Christen explained. Cole’s protocol also included regular occupational and physical therapies, which helped him begin to regain the strength he lost.
These sessions also helped him focus on returning to all
the activities he enjoyed before his diagnosis.
Cole finished treatment in late 2018 and visits St. Jude for regular scans.
Since returning home to California, Cole has worked hard to get back on track.
Within the first few weeks of returning home, Cole did a ropes course and zip line.
“He was a little shaky, but he got it done and had a great time,” Eric said.
Recently, Cole went snowboarding for the first time. With his helmet securely on his head and
goggles over his eyes, Cole took a deep breath and went down his first hill. “It was a great day,”
Eric said. “Cole was on his snowboard the whole time.”
Cole isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. He has an overnight backpacking trip
coming up has been training with his dad and Stannis, back on the local hills and trails
he loves so much. “Stannis is always with us,” Eric said. “Thick as thieves, those two are.”
Christen knows that Cole’s experiences will have a profound effect on him moving forward.
“His battle against cancer and the experiences he’s had during the last year will make him
a better human being,” she said. “St. Jude saved our son’s life.
And they’re going to allow him to live a life.”
Since Cole has finished treatment, we’ve just been living life and enjoying our time together.
We are so grateful, for St. Jude saving his life.
Brain tumors treated at St. Jude include:
Astrocytoma / Glioma
Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT)
Choroid Plexus Tumor
Craniopharyngioma
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Ependymoma
Ganglioglioma
Germ Cell Tumors (Brain)
Gliomatosis Cerebri
Medulloblastoma
Meningioma
Oligodendroglioma
Optic Pathway Tumor
Pineoblastoma