FIGHT LIKE A COUG for ST. JUDE
I'm extremely blessed to have been selected as a St. Jude Hero for the 2025 London Marathon and thrilled to partner with the China Spring High School Electric Blues Dance Team to fundraise for such an amazing organization in honor of 2012 CSHS Valedictorian and Electric Blues Captain Emily Stephens.
Emily Stephens was born in 1994 and was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 4. She was subjected to cancer treatments throughout her childhood and even through college. In fact, she was receiving treatments for brain cancer while she was in high school, which is hard to believe considering all of the things she accomplished.
1. Valedictorian CSHS 2012
2. Captain of the CSHS Electric Blues Dance team
3. Editor of the CSHS Yearbook
4. President of the Waco Chapter of the National Charity League
5. Accepted to the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business
Emily's cancer returned during her sophomore year at the University of Texas and she was accepted to participate in an experimental treatment at St. Jude. This procedure provided her and her family an additional 5 years of life and the opportunity to become part of the St. Jude Family. When visiting with her family, they always speak with such passion and appreciation for everything St. Jude did for Emily and the family. In January 2018, Emily passed away from her long, hard fought battle with cancer.
Emily Stephens continues to positively impact the China Spring Community by being the inspiration for her mother, Brenda, to start a non-profit organization (China Spring Cares-2013) based on providing for those less fortunate. Before the school year starts and before Christmas, over 100 students/families benefit by being provided clothing, food, presents, and various other items identified as needs. It's simply a blessing what Emily Stephens and her family have given to our China Spring community!
As you can see, this young lady and her family are the personification of being courageous in the face of adversity. This is why I feel so blessed to honor her memory and to do what little part I can to help give back as a St. Jude Hero. Your donations allow St. Jude to continue the fight to cure cancer and ensures that no family receives a bill, thus allowing families to focus on what truly matters - loving and being with their child during this difficult time.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
