Team Mason

 A parent described St. Jude as the "best worst place to be.". You never want to have to be there, but if you're fighting pediatric cancer, it's where you want to go. 

 Mason's Story 

 Mason was a sweet, kind and incredibly smart 6-year old boy. In February of 2023 he had a headache. As the next week and a half progressed, his symptoms got worse and he continued to get very sick. Four visits to his pediatrician revealed nothing, until an emergency CT scan at Wake Med would show the tumor on his brain. He was quickly transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill where he underwent a 5-hour brain surgery. 

 While recovering from surgery his family received the unimaginable diagnosis, Mason had medulloblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. To fight this cancer, Mason needed highly specialized treatment and he was admitted into St. Jude. 

 This strong boy endured 10-months of intense treatment: radiation plus a low-dose chemo, followed by 5-rounds of high dose chemo at St. Jude. During these months he had additional brain surgeries, multiple blood transfusions, platelet infusions, procedure after procedure and medicine after medicine. Unfortunately, his disease did not respond to treatment and he gained his angel wings on Nov. 6, 2023. 

 The Hope of St. Jude 

 There are many moments of hope tucked into this painful story. St. Jude facilities are completely tailored to their young patients and Mason enjoyed many of these accommodations. St. Jude provided some amazing experiences for Mason like meeting an astronaut from NASA! Mason's doctors were more than just medical professionals. They were Mason's cheerleaders, his support, and his team that walked beside him.

 "It's an amazing place. They truly work hard to treat the whole child, not just the disease. The staff are angels on earth. They housed us, fed us, supported us, prayed with us, laughed and cried with us. Anything Mason needed they provided. Because of St. Jude, Richard Moore and I did not have to worry about anything but taking care of our precious boy." - Jamie Moore, Mason's mom. 

 We would LOVE to have you join our team! If you can't make it, but would like to donate that would be appreciated too (every little bit helps)!