Beyond Treatment:

What Makes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Special

Table of Contents (Click to expand/collapse)

• The Founding Promise: No Family Receives a Bill
• Beyond Medical Treatment: The Whole Child Approach
• A Home Away From Home: The Ronald McDonald House Experience
• Global Impact Through Research and Knowledge Sharing
• The People Who Make the Difference
• Filling the Gaps in Childhood Cancer Funding
• A Beacon of Hope in the Darkest Times
• Why Your Support Matters
• Join Us in Supporting St. Jude

In our previous articles, we shared the personal story behind Champion Mulch & Landscape Supply’s partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® – sparked by owner Matt Brun’s experience with his niece Maddy’s treatment for brain cancer – and outlined how our mulch purchases will support St. Jude’s mission throughout 2025.

Today, we want to take you deeper into what makes St. Jude truly exceptional. Through our family’s experience and the countless stories of others, we’ve discovered that St. Jude offers something far beyond world-class medical care. They’ve created a comprehensive approach to healing that considers every aspect of a child and family’s well-being during one of life’s most challenging journeys.

The Founding Promise

No Family Receives a Bill

“St. Jude was absolutely awesome,” recalls Julie, Maddy’s mother. “They paid for our travel down to Memphis for two adults and Maddy. Which was huge.”

What many people don’t realize is just how comprehensive St. Jude’s financial commitment to families truly is. When founder Danny Thomas established St. Jude in 1962, he made a revolutionary promise: no family would ever receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

This isn’t merely about covering medical expenses. St. Jude understands that childhood cancer creates financial burdens far beyond hospital bills:

• Transportation costs: St. Jude covers travel expenses to Memphis for the patient and typically two family members
• Housing during treatment: Families are provided with on-campus housing or accommodations at places like the Ronald McDonald House
• Daily meals: Food allowances help families focus on their child’s health, not grocery shopping
• Ongoing care: Even follow-up appointments are covered

“When you are in short-term housing you receive a stipend to eat in their cafeteria and Dominos supplied a large pizza and a two-liter of soda every day if you wanted it,” Julie explains. “When we were moved to the Ronald McDonald House (more long-term housing) I think I received $100 a week for groceries and whatever we needed.”

This comprehensive support system allows parents to focus on what matters most—helping their child heal—rather than worrying about mounting medical bills or how to afford food and lodging during extended stays away from home.

Beyond Medical Treatment

The Whole Child Approach

When Maddy arrived at St. Jude, she wasn’t just a patient with ependymoma. She was a 14-month-old child whose development could be significantly impacted by both her condition and treatment. St. Jude recognized this and provided comprehensive support beyond her medical needs.

“Maddy also had speech, occupational and physical therapy while she was there,” Julie shares. “They have a school on campus so kids can try to keep up with their academics.”

This holistic approach addresses the reality that cancer treatment affects every aspect of a child’s development. St. Jude’s commitment to treating the whole child includes:

• Developmental therapies: Speech, occupational, and physical therapy to minimize developmental delays
• Educational support: On-campus schooling to help patients stay on track academically
• Psychological services: Support for the emotional aspects of childhood cancer
• Child Life specialists: Professionals who help children understand and cope with their medical experiences

For Maddy, these supplementary services were crucial in ensuring that while doctors fought her cancer, her developmental progress wasn’t unnecessarily impeded. These services, like all aspects of care at St. Jude, come at no cost to families.

A Home Away From Home

The Ronald McDonald House Experience

For many families like Julie and Maddy’s, treatment at St. Jude means spending months away from home. The Ronald McDonald House, which partners closely with St. Jude, becomes a sanctuary during this difficult time.

“Maddy and I stayed at RMH for about 2 months,” Julie recalls. “It was our home.”

What makes the Ronald McDonald House extraordinary is how it creates a sense of normalcy and community:

• Private rooms: Giving families personal space while away from home
• Communal kitchen facilities: “Each of us got a big section of a refrigerator and they had multiple stoves/ovens/microwaves that families could use”
• Shared meals: “Businesses and churches would sponsor dinners for everyone and that usually occurred a few times a week”
• Practical amenities: “We also had washers and dryers we could use… they also had a shuttle to St. Jude, grocery stores, shopping centers”
• Child-focused spaces: “There were multiple playrooms for the kids, craft rooms, game rooms. Lucas really liked this when he visited. To this day he still tells me he wants to go back”
• Community support: “They would have people come in to give parents a quick massage and have music and other activities for the kids”

These thoughtful touches transform what could be a sterile, temporary accommodation into a genuine home with a built-in support community of other families who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Global Impact Through Research and Knowledge Sharing

St. Jude’s mission extends far beyond the patients who walk through their doors. As a research institution, they’re committed to advancing treatments for childhood cancer and sharing their discoveries worldwide.

“Supporting St. Jude is so important,” Julie emphasizes. “Not only do they take a huge amount of worry away from families that are going through the unthinkable… They are also a research hospital, so their sole purpose is to find treatments and cures for pediatric cancer.”

St. Jude’s research efforts have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% in 1962 to more than 80% today. But what makes their approach truly special is their commitment to sharing:

• Research collaboration: St. Jude freely shares research findings and discoveries globally
• Treatment protocols: Their clinical treatments and best practices are available to doctors worldwide
• Global outreach: St. Jude works with partners in countries where childhood cancer survival rates remain low

As Julie points out, “St. Jude shares their findings all over the world so it can help everyone, not just their patients. Every dollar counts.”

This global perspective means that supporting St. Jude doesn’t just help the families who receive treatment in Memphis—it advances care for children with cancer everywhere.

The People Who Make the Difference

Behind every medical breakthrough and thoughtful accommodation is the exceptional team of people who make St. Jude what it is.

“Everyone that works there is so nice and helpful,” Julie recalls. “The doctors and nurses are top of the line. They make you feel seen and heard. If I had any concerns they always tried to help.”

From world-renowned oncologists to the cafeteria staff, every person at St. Jude contributes to an atmosphere of compassionate care:

• Medical expertise: Specialists like Dr. Merchant, known as “the ependymoma guy,” represent the pinnacle of specialized knowledge
• Responsive care: “If I had any concerns they always tried to help”
• Holistic support team: Social workers who help coordinate services and support
• Dignity-preserving approach: Even in difficult circumstances, families are treated with respect

This culture of care extends beyond medical treatment. As Julie notes, “They try to make it as cheerful of a place as possible,” despite the serious nature of the conditions being treated.

Filling the Gaps in Childhood Cancer Funding

One of the most sobering realities Julie and Matt learned through their experience is how underfunded childhood cancer research remains nationally.

“The federal government only gives 4% of the cancer research budget to pediatric cancers, the rest goes to adult treatments that can’t be used on children,” Julie points out. “Children are not profitable to the government or big pharma. I think I read that Americans spend more money on Starbucks in 3 DAYS than the federal government spends in ONE YEAR on childhood cancer research.”

This stark reality makes institutions like St. Jude even more crucial. They step in to fill this substantial gap, focusing specifically on developing treatments for children when other funding sources fall short.

A Beacon of Hope in the Darkest Times

Perhaps what truly sets St. Jude apart is something less tangible but equally important—the atmosphere of possibility and hope they cultivate, even in the most difficult circumstances.

When families arrive at St. Jude, they’re often at their most vulnerable, having received devastating news about their child’s health. The hospital environment acknowledges this reality while refusing to surrender to it.

“It’s a beautiful campus and we definitely felt we were in the right place,” Julie remembers. “It’s a mixed bag of emotions because you are surrounded by staff that are so kind and gracious, but you are also surrounded by a lot of sick children… Even with a lot of illness around you, they still make it as cheerful of a place as possible.”

This balance—acknowledging the gravity of childhood cancer while maintaining an environment of possibility and hope—is what makes St. Jude truly special.

Why Your Support Matters

Every dollar donated to St. Jude contributes to this extraordinary ecosystem of care, research, and hope:

• $3 can help provide pediatric isolation masks to protect patients with compromised immune systems
• $10 can help provide a new toy for hospital play areas
• $30 can help provide one meal card for a St. Jude family
• $100 can help provide one red wagon for transportation
• $500 can help provide one hour of physical therapy

Through Champion Mulch’s partnership with St. Jude, every yard of mulch you purchase in 2025 helps support this comprehensive care system that goes so far beyond medical treatment.

Join Us in Supporting St. Jude

As we continue our year-long partnership with St. Jude, we invite you to be part of this mission by:

• Purchasing mulch from any Champion Mulch location or online at www.gotochampion.com
• Displaying a yard sign in your front yard to receive the $3 per cubic yard discount
• Adding a donation of $1, $3, or $5 at checkout
• Customers using our coupons from Clipp and Town Money Saver magazines who also agree to place a sign in their yards can receive an additional $3 off their total order

We invite you to help spread awareness about St. Jude’s mission by sharing your support on social media:

1. Take a photo of your Champion Mulch/St. Jude yard sign in your yard
2. Post it on your social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn)
3. Tag Champion (see below) and St. Jude (@StJude) in your post:
   • Facebook – @ChampionMulchandLandscapeSupply
   • Instagram – @ChampionMulchOH
   • X – @ChampionMulchOH
   • TikTok – @ChampionMulchOH
4. Use the hashtags #MulchThatMatters #ChampionMulchForStJudeKids

Together, we can help ensure that St. Jude continues to provide this exceptional care to children and families facing childhood cancer.

Because at Champion Mulch & Landscape Supply, we believe the most beautiful landscapes grow from purpose and compassion.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does St. Jude decide which patients to accept for treatment?
A: St. Jude treats children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. While they typically accept patients who are part of specific clinical trials, they also make exceptions for cases requiring specialized expertise, as they did for Maddy. Patients are accepted based on medical needs regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Q: If families don’t pay for treatment, how does St. Jude fund its operations?
A: St. Jude relies primarily on individual contributions. Public donations account for approximately 78% – 89% of the funds necessary to operate the hospital and conduct research. The remaining funding comes from grants and other sources. This funding model allows St. Jude to focus solely on providing the best care without financial considerations.

Q: Do families really never receive a bill for anything?
A: Correct. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. This comprehensive approach ensures that families can focus entirely on helping their child recover rather than worrying about how to pay for life-saving treatments or essential living expenses while away from home.

Q: How long do patients typically stay at St. Jude?
A: Treatment length varies widely depending on the disease and treatment protocol. Some families, like Maddy’s, stay for about two months for focused treatment like radiation therapy. Others may receive treatment at St. Jude for several years, with periods at home between treatment phases. St. Jude works with each family to create treatment plans that best serve the child’s medical needs.

Q: Does St. Jude only treat cancer patients?
A: While St. Jude is best known for treating childhood cancers, they also treat children with other life-threatening diseases, including blood disorders, infectious diseases that affect the immune system, and genetic disorders that increase cancer risk. Their research focuses on understanding the biological mechanisms underlying these diseases to develop better treatments.

Q: How does St. Jude’s research benefit children who aren’t treated there?
A: St. Jude freely shares its discoveries, treatment protocols, and research findings worldwide. This means that children being treated at hospitals around the globe benefit from St. Jude’s research without ever visiting Memphis. Their discoveries have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened in 1962.

Q: Are there specific ways my donation through Champion Mulch supports St. Jude?
A: Every dollar donated helps ensure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food. Donations also support cutting-edge research and the development of new treatments. When you purchase mulch from Champion in 2025, you’re contributing to all aspects of St. Jude’s life-saving mission.

Q: How does the yard sign program work with Champion Mulch’s partnership?
A: When you purchase mulch from any Champion location and agree to place a St. Jude/Champion yard sign in your yard, you’ll receive a $3 discount per cubic yard of mulch with code save3. This program helps spread awareness about St. Jude throughout our community while providing you with savings on your landscaping needs. The yard sign discount cannot be combined with any other coupons.

Q: Can commercial landscapers participate in this partnership too?
A: Absolutely! The $0.50 donation* applies to every yard of mulch purchased at our retail locations, whether by homeowners or landscaping professionals. Large commercial customers that require a semi for delivery will not be a part of this program. They can donate directly at our dedicated site https://www.stjude.org/ChampionMulch or speak with Matt, Jeff, Brittany or Nate for more details.**

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*From January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, Champion Mulch, LLC will donate $0.50 of the purchase price for every yard of mulch purchased online at www.gotochampion.com or at participating locations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® to support its mission: Finding cures. Saving children.®

**100% of donations will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® to support its mission: Finding cures. Saving children.®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.