Claire Dawson
Struggling entertainer Danny Thomas founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after he prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, to show me my way in life, and I will build you a shrine. Thomas's career soon flourished, and he remembered his vow, deciding that his shrine to St. Jude would take the form of a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where children with incurable diseases could come with hope for healing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the hospital | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
| Year founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Danny Thomas |
| Type of hospital | Pediatric treatment and research hospital |
| Type of organization | Nonprofit medical corporation |
| Focus | Children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers |
| Age limit for treatment | Patients up to age 21, and for some conditions, up to age 25 |
| Treatment costs for patients | Free |
| Daily operating costs | $1.7 million |
| Donations received in 2021 | $2 billion |
| Affiliated institutions | Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, etc. |
| Mission | "No child should die in the dawn of life" |
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What You'll Learn
Danny Thomas's vow to St. Jude Thaddeus
As a struggling young entertainer, Danny Thomas made a vow to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie, were expecting a baby, and Thomas was worried about supporting his family. He had a dream of a career in entertainment, but it seemed increasingly unlikely that this would be viable.
One night, Thomas went to a Detroit church and placed his last $7 in the collection box, praying for a way to pay the looming hospital bills. He vowed to St. Jude, saying, "Show me my way in life, and I will build you a shrine." The next day, Thomas was offered a small role that paid ten times the amount he had just donated to the church.
Thomas's career began to take off, and he soon moved his family to Chicago to pursue new career opportunities. He had not forgotten his vow to St. Jude, but he was uncertain about what form the shrine should take. One night, Thomas had a dream in which a wounded boy was taken to the hospital, but the doctors refused to treat him, and the boy died. This dream reminded Thomas of a near-death experience his youngest brother had gone through when they were children.
Thomas's idea for the shrine to St. Jude began to take shape as a children's hospital. With input from his mentor, Cardinal Samuel Stritch, Thomas decided to build the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. By 1955, Thomas had rallied a group of Memphis businessmen to support his cause, and they decided that the hospital should be a unique research institution devoted to curing catastrophic childhood diseases, particularly cancer. Thomas wanted to ensure that no family would be turned away due to their inability to pay, so he embarked on a fundraising campaign to support the construction and operation of the hospital.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962, and it has since become one of the world's premier pediatric research institutions. Thomas lived to see his dream become a reality, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of supporters.
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The hospital's founding mission
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas on February 4, 1962. Thomas' vision was to create a hospital that would treat children regardless of race, color, creed, or their family's ability to pay.
Thomas' inspiration to build the hospital came from a prayer he made to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. As a struggling young entertainer with a baby on the way, Thomas visited a Detroit church and placed his last $7 in the collection box, praying for a way to pay the looming hospital bills. He vowed to St. Jude: "Show me my way in life, and I will build you a shrine." The next day, Thomas was offered a small role that paid ten times the amount he had just donated.
Thomas' career flourished through films and television, and he became an internationally known entertainer. He recalled his vow to St. Jude and, together with a group of Memphis businessmen, began discussing how to bring his vision to life. The idea of a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, gradually took shape. By 1955, Thomas and his supporters decided that the hospital should be more than a general children's hospital. They envisioned a unique research institution devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children, including cancer, sickle cell, and other deadly diseases.
Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie, tirelessly promoted his dream of building St. Jude Children's Research Hospital across the United States, raising funds and seeking support. They faced the challenge of funding the hospital's annual operations, which Thomas addressed by turning to his fellow Americans of Arabic-speaking heritage. He believed that by supporting St. Jude, this group could express gratitude to the United States for the freedom it had offered their parents and honor their immigrant forefathers.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened its doors in 1962 with the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life." The hospital has remained true to its founding mission, providing free cutting-edge medical care to children with catastrophic diseases and becoming a leader in developing improved treatments for pediatric cancer. Families never receive bills for treatment, travel, housing, or food, ensuring they can focus solely on their child's health.
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Fundraising efforts
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas on 4 February 1962. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". Thomas's fundraising efforts for the hospital began in the early 1950s, and by 1955, local business leaders had joined his cause and began fundraising efforts in their areas, supplementing Thomas's benefit shows, which featured major entertainment stars. Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie, travelled across the United States by car, sharing his dream and raising funds at meetings and benefits. They visited 28 cities in 32 days.
Thomas also turned to his fellow Americans of Arabic-speaking descent for support. He believed that by supporting St. Jude, this group of Americans could thank the United States for the gifts of freedom given to their parents. In 1957, 100 representatives of the Arab-American community met in Chicago to form ALSAC, with the sole purpose of raising funds for the support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. ALSAC has since been responsible for all the hospital's fundraising efforts, raising hundreds of millions annually through benefits and solicitation drives among Americans of all ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds.
Thomas also used his fame to raise the hospital's profile, appearing in ads for St. Jude and hosting fundraising events starring celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr. Today, St. Jude continues to receive support from celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Sofia Vergara, who sing the hospital's praises in televised advertisements. In 2021, St. Jude received $2 billion in donations, with daily operating costs averaging $1.7 million. Patients are not charged for care, travel, housing, or food.
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The hospital's opening
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas on February 4, 1962, before a crowd of 9,000 people. Thomas founded the hospital to fulfill a promise he made to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, years prior. Thomas, then a struggling entertainer with a baby on the way, visited a Detroit church and placed his last $7 in the collection box, praying for a way to pay the looming hospital bills. The next day, he was offered a small role that paid ten times the amount he had just donated. Thomas's career soon flourished, and he became an internationally known entertainer.
In the early 1950s, Thomas began discussing with friends what form his vow to St. Jude Thaddeus might take. The idea of a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, gradually took shape. Thomas and a group of Memphis businesspeople decided that the hospital should be a unique research institution devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children, regardless of race, religion, or financial status.
In 1957, 100 representatives of the Arab-American community met in Chicago to form ALSAC, whose sole purpose was to raise funds for the support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie, also travelled across the United States, raising funds and sharing Thomas's dream of building the hospital.
By the time of its opening, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital had raised $2 billion in donations. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". Today, it is one of the world's premier pediatric research institutions and has become a beacon of hope for catastrophically ill children worldwide.
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The hospital's legacy
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, has become a world leader in developing improved treatments for children with cancer. The hospital creates more clinical trials for cancer than any other children's hospital, and families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
Danny Thomas's vision for St. Jude was inspired by a prayer he made to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, during a low point in his life. He vowed that if St. Jude showed him his way in life, he would "build a shrine". Thomas's career soon flourished, and he became an internationally known entertainer. He remembered his vow to St. Jude and, in the early 1950s, began discussing with friends what form it should take. The idea of a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, took shape, and in 1955, Thomas and a group of Memphis businesspeople decided it should be a research hospital devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children.
Thomas and his wife, Rose Marie, tirelessly raised funds for the hospital by travelling across the United States, sharing his dream with anyone who would listen. They also turned to Thomas's fellow Americans of Arabic-speaking heritage for support, believing that these Americans should thank the United States for the freedoms given to their parents.
Thomas lived to see his "little hospital" become an international beacon of hope for catastrophically ill children worldwide. He died in 1991, just two days after celebrating the hospital's 29th anniversary. Today, St. Jude continues Thomas's mission, striving to ensure that "no child should die in the dawn of life".
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Frequently asked questions
Danny Thomas built the hospital to honour a vow he made to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes.
Thomas prayed, "Show me my way in life, and I will build you a shrine."
Thomas made the vow in a Detroit church in 1940. He was a struggling young entertainer with a baby on the way and unsure how he would provide for his family.
Thomas' shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus took the form of a children's hospital. It was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life".
