T'Ara

14 years old

Louisiana

osteosarcoma

From the moment T'Ara and her family entered the doors of St. Jude, they joined a team focused on making T'Ara well—while keeping the entire family strong. Her doctor devised the game plan. The battle against T'Ara's osteosarcoma would include chemotherapy and surgery. During the surgery, a prosthetic device would be used to save the bone of her diseased shoulder—thereby saving her entire arm from amputation. Her nurse helped administer procedures while keeping T'Ara safe and comfortable.

Knowing how much T'Ara loved to paint, her child life specialist made sure T'Ara's inpatient room was stocked with paints and paper. T'Ara says she used painting as an outlet to help her deal with her emotions. Her teacher at the St. Jude school linked up with her instructor back home to ensure T'Ara will continue to excel academically. T'Ara had never liked Math before, but her St. Jude teacher provided one-on-one instruction, taking as much time as needed on each problem until she finally understood. Now Math is her favorite subject.

Because of the unsurpassed care that T'Ara receives at St. Jude, she is able to face each new day bravely. Working together, T'Ara's St. Jude team has been victorious. T'Ara recently celebrated her very last chemo. Tests indicate that she is cancer free.