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St. Jude treats Math-A-Thon student

For Ty’s family, moving from California to Mississippi was a big decision, one that came with a few regrets. After all, leaving California meant saying goodbye to family and friends. Five days into their new Mississippi life, 9-year-old Ty was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Suddenly, California and their loved ones seemed even farther away.

Feeling alone and very much afraid, Ty’s family was told by the local doctor that the best treatment for them was only 20 minutes away at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Oddly enough, it was Ty himself who gave his family the courage they needed to decide on St. Jude. “Ty had done Math-A-Thons from first grade through third grade,” said his mom, Gretchen. “He was devastated to learn he had cancer, but when he found he was coming to St. Jude, his tears dried.” Their choice was clear. “We never considered any other place,” said Gretchen. “We would have fought them if they had tried to refer us any place else.”

At St. Jude, Ty had three rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, followed by full-body radiation in order to condition him for a bone marrow transplant. Ty’s younger sister Samantha was a 100-percent match for him and was his donor.

Today, the cancer is in remission. Ty said that Danny Thomas is his hero, and he wants to be a doctor when he grows up.