Peaks and Valleys
Jaxon Guthrie’s St. Jude story
Jaxon Guthrie, right, is a 16-year-old cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Wilms’ tumor at the age of five. His mother, Laura, and father, Tracy, credit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with saving his life.
Some of us choose to do hard things in the name of discipline, fitness, or personal development. We run marathons or train for Iron Man and Tough Mudder events. We might spend hours in the gym or on the bicycle. Others of us seek summits and climb mountains.
These challenges put us to the test mentally and physically. They examine our will, our resilience, and our resolve. But these challenges pale in comparison to the difficulties faced by a family affected by a child’s cancer diagnosis.
These families face a test they did not choose.
Mothers and fathers hold their sick children and ask why such a hand was dealt to their babies. Brothers and sisters, often not fully understanding, wonder why their siblings rest more than they play, or why they can’t eat. Children battling the disease question what purpose this journey serves for themselves and others. They wonder if they’ll get to play at recess, join the baseball team, or walk the line at graduation.
Together, these families rally, rise to the occasion, and inspire communities.
Just as friends, neighbors, and strangers support these special families, so do research and treatment centers like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is a place where science and compassion meet, creating a sanctuary for families facing the harrowing journey of pediatric cancer.
My career has allowed me to live and work in many communities across the country and to meet countless people with unique stories to tell. In Jackson County, Alabama, I was fortunate to meet the Ricker and Guthrie families.
I was publisher of Northeast Alabama’s daily newspaper of record for a few years. During this time, I met Ron Ricker. He had recently retired as customer service manager for the regional utility co-operative and had decided to open a small family business serving shaved ice for his second act.
Covering his new business in the newspaper led to meeting his daughter Laura Ricker Guthrie, her husband Tracy, and their son Jaxon. Laura is an accountant by profession, but her main mission in life is to advocate for the advancement of research and treatment for pediatric cancer.
The Guthrie family’s ordeal began with a diagnosis that is every parent's nightmare. What was originally thought to possibly be appendicitis turned out to be much worse.
On August 15, 2012, Laura, Tracy, and five-year-old Jaxon arrived at St. Jude’s campus in Memphis to begin treatment for Stage 4 Wilms’ tumor.
Wilms' tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects about 400 children worldwide each year, manifests with few symptoms and often requires aggressive treatment. When the Guthrie family learned of Jaxon’s condition, they were catapulted into a world of uncertainty.
Upon their arrival, Jaxon was enrolled in a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to combat his specific type of cancer. The treatment for Wilms' tumor often involves surgery to remove the affected kidney, followed by chemotherapy and possibly radiation therapy to eradicate any remaining cancer cells.
A chest CT the day after their arrival revealed more tumors on Jaxon’s lungs that would require radiation. Five days later, on August 20, Dr. Andrew M. Davidoff, successfully removed the tumors from Jaxon’s kidneys without spillage during a four-hour operation.
Throughout Jaxon's treatment, his family diligently updated friends, family, and well-wishers through CaringBridge—a platform that allows families to share their health journeys. Her entries provided a window into the day-to-day challenges and triumphs that marked Jaxon’s path to recovery.
What would have been Jaxon’s first day of Kindergarten at Thurston T. Nelson Elementary School was spent in Memphis, Day 3 post-op, moving from ICU to the second floor and having several lines and tubes removed.
“You are probably like me and only knew about this place through television and commercials, but it is amazing,” Jaxon’s father, Tracy, wrote in a CaringBridge update on August 22. “Miracles truly happen every day within these gates, and I thank God that such a place exists. You pray you never have to come to a place like this for your children, but it is really comforting to know it is here.”
On September 13, 2012, Jaxon and his parents loaded up the car, checked out of the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, and drove east across Tennessee toward home in Scottsboro, Alabama. In the nine months that followed, he underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and in Huntsville.
As Jaxon was treated, the Guthrie family found great solace and support in St. Jude’s holistic care approach. The hospital’s Child Life Services provided Jaxon with educational and therapeutic activities to help him cope with the psychological stress of his treatment. Social workers and counselors were also available to support his family through their emotional journey, assisting them in navigating the complexities of cancer treatment.
“This place is really special in the extra mile they put in day-in and day-out for children,” wrote Laura. “This is the only place I have ever known that goes way beyond just treating the patient and their illness. I thank St. Jude for doing all they do each and every day!”
On May 23, 2013, Jaxon and his family traveled to Memphis for scans following his final chemotherapy treatment earlier that month. They were elated to hear the words “all clear” and “cancer free” after nine long months of treatments.
Jaxon’s journey through cancer treatment was arduous, but thanks to the comprehensive care at St. Jude, his story is one of hope and resilience.
As he overcame each hurdle, the Guthrie family knew they were not alone. They had the support of a world-class medical team and a global community of supporters rallying behind them, each step of the way.
This month, Jaxon celebrates 11 years of life after cancer. He’s a high school baseball star, with big plans and a bright future.
“He is a thriving 16-year-old who you would never know how sick he once was. St. Jude saved my son’s life!” Laura recently told me.
In her final post to the CaringBridge journal, Jaxon’s mother rallied her network to support policy and funding initiatives for pediatric cancer research and treatment. She has made it her mission to help other children receive the same innovative and life-giving care that Jaxon benefitted from.
St. Jude’s foundational promise is that no family ever pays for treatment, travel, housing, or food. This policy ensures that all families have to focus on is supporting their child through recovery.
More than a hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a place where cutting-edge scientific research informs each treatment plan. For Jaxon, this meant access to the latest therapies and clinical trials aimed at improving his chances of recovery.
In addition to direct medical care, St. Jude’s mission encompasses research aimed at understanding pediatric cancer and finding cures. The hospital shares all its discoveries freely across the global medical community, ensuring that breakthroughs made at St. Jude can lead to improved treatments worldwide. This commitment to research and sharing knowledge underpins the hospital’s vision that no child should die in the dawn of life.
“St. Jude saved my son’s life.”
Support for St. Jude’s mission extends beyond its walls through initiatives like the St. Jude Heroes program. This program enables individuals to support the hospital by participating in fundraising activities, often tied to physical challenges such as marathons or cycling events.
St. Jude Heroes contribute not just by raising funds but by spreading awareness about the hospital’s work, engaging communities in a collective effort to support childhood cancer research and treatment. The St. Jude Heroes program exemplifies how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact.
Life is full of peaks and valleys. While we don’t always control where the valleys take us, but we can absolutely choose the summits we chase. The hard associated with climbing a mountain is nothing compared to the hard Jaxon and his family faced when battling cancer.
Jaxon’s story is a testament to the life-changing impact of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It is a call to action for all who believe in their mission—to join in supporting an institution that not only fights to cure pediatric cancer but also nurtures the hearts and minds of those it serves.
I’m heading to Tanzania in October with St. Jude Heroes and Embark Exploration Co to trek up Mount Kilimanjaro and raise funds for childhood cancer research and treatment with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. With your help we can cross the fundraising finish line.
Together, we can ensure that many more children like Jaxon have the chance to climb their own mountains, supported by the care and research that only St. Jude can provide. Even when the climb is done, the fight to end childhood cancer continues.