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Jayla

9 years old

optic pathway glioma

Felicia

8 years old

optic pathway glioma

Juliauna

1 year old

brain lesion

When Juliauna was 7 months old, her parents, Elnora and Fredrick, took her to the doctor for a routine appointment. However, measurements showed that the baby’s head circumference was larger than usual. The doctor ordered an ultrasound and an MRI. The results revealed lesions on Juliauna’s brain.

The family turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Elnora and Fredrick were familiar with St. Jude because two of their other children, 9-year-old Jayla and 8-year-old Felicia, are patients there. Jayla and Felicia suffer from optic pathway glioma, a type of tumor that arises in or around the optic nerve. They have been undergoing treatment at  St. Jude since 2008.

Doctors at St. Jude are currently monitoring Juliana. She underwent surgery during which a shunt was inserted that relieves pressure on the brain due to fluid buildup. Juliauna undergoes physical therapy twice a week at St. Jude.

“We are so thankful for St. Jude,” Elnora said. “There’s no better place. We have five children, three of whom are patients. The fact that we never receive a bill from St. Jude is just such a relief.”