St. Jude Children's Hospital from the Eyewitness News Newsroom

Little Gracie Ogle is a typical three year old; spunky, giggly, with an occasional temper tantrum. But only a year and half ago there was a grim diagnosis. Her parents Nathan and Julie Ogle were told their baby girl had cancer.

They grew concerned after noticing their usually agile toddler was having trouble walking. A routine checkup showed she had a brain tumor and local doctors told them it was rapidly spreading. It wasn't until Julie and Nathan brought her to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, that they were given a more promising prognosis.

The Ogles traveled from Chesapeake, Virginia to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee where doctors discovered Gracie had a very rare and aggressive type of childhood cancer. The diagnosis meant numerous brain surgeries and radiation treatments were ahead.

Through their struggles, St. Jude's mission, "that no child should die in the dawn of life" was the light that kept the darkness at bay, offering the Ogle's that hope and that future for their child.

Over the years, St. Jude has pioneered a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to treat childhood cancers. Years ago, kids like Gracie had no chance for a cure. It's through research at St. Jude that parents are given hope in a time where they feel all is lost.

Thanks to St. Jude, Gracie's cancer is now gone, with hopes and prayers it never returns. Nathan and Julie say they're very optimistic that they're going to continue to have clear scans and not only has St. Jude given them a great prognosis and a whole lot of hope, they've given them their baby back.

		Saturday, Nov 21, 2009 09:11:29 AM