St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reached out to Memphis Parent with inspirational stories of fathers who’ve gone through unimaginable challenges. Read about two of them here.
Fathers have a unique role to play in the lives of their children — from loving shoulders to cry on to strong shoulders to lift them up. Children look up to their fathers to be a role model, and to always be the strong one. However, the emotional stress a father goes through when their child is fighting cancer and still manages to stay strong for the family is no easy feat. Nothing in life can prepare a person for this challenge of a lifetime — to watch their child battle cancer. Read the stories and experiences of these two fathers who faced their worst fears with hope — and help from St. Jude.
Meet Quinton, Quincy’s super dad!
Quincy was a healthy child at birth, and Quinton, his dad, never imagined the psychological stress that was in store for him. Quinton says, “At no point [had] it dawned on me that Quincy would be diagnosed with cancer.” In 2018, when Quincy was diagnosed with kidney cancer — Wilms tumor — at the age of eight, they were in shock. Quincy’s parents are extremely thankful for their pediatrician, who recommended he should get checked out and, eventually, were referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. They learned that Wilms tumor is quite common even though they’d never heard about it before.
“At that moment, I just went numb. I couldn’t move. I didn’t know what to think,” Quinton recalls. Talking to other parents who went through something similar helped them find the strength and reassurance that there would be light at the end of this stressful tunnel. “Quincy was so strong throughout everything, and that helped me strengthen myself,” Quinton says. “It makes you realize things that you take for granted.”
St. Jude put together a care team for Quincy, which included surgeons, psychiatrists, nurses, doctors, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and child life specialists. Surgery followed by chemotherapy was part of his treatment plan. Quinton is grateful for the care team. “The care team knows exactly what they are doing; there was not one person on this team who didn’t know what was going on.” Quinton adds, “My child’s life was saved for free, and we didn’t have to pay a dime.”
As hard as going through something like this is, Quinton feels grateful that he did not have to worry about the financial aspect of a life-saving treatment. His son finished treatment the same year. Quincy is now back in school and participating in extracurricular activities, like swimming. Learn more about Quinton — Quincy’s super dad.
Meet Jun, Riku’s super dad!
Riku was only three years old when his family moved from Japan to the U.S. and understood only Japanese. Moving across the world seems tough, but imagine not being able to speak the primary language of the country. The move was a dramatic change for the family, especially for Riku, as nobody understood him as he tried to converse in Japanese. The strenuous journey he had to undergo unfortunately did not stop there. Life had more drastic and stressful changes in store for him when he was diagnosed with childhood cancer, medulloblastoma.
Following a 10-hour surgery to remove the mass from his brain, Riku was referred to St. Jude. Riku’s treatment plan consisted of proton therapy. Riku’s parents say, “We really wanted proton therapy where the beams could just hit the tumor and protect other tissues around the tumor.” Riku’s parents were important members of his care team, and even their smallest concerns were addressed, which made them feel secure. “I have never seen such a great hospital,” Jun says. “We know we can rely on St. Jude and the staff one hundred percent.” Riku was able to return home after responding well to his treatment at St. Jude. Learn more about Jun — Riku’s super dad.
To learn more about St. Jude, please visit st.jude.org