Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Every year Christmas time.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Our gift to Houston, actually kids around the world is
our radiothon for Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital. And we
have got a patient and a sponsor for our tote
board who want to share their story and how they
got involved with Saint Jude. I hope you listen in
how you do a radiothon guys during Christmas music, which
is a very joy filled time of the year, and
(00:24):
yet we're doing a radiothon for Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
People thought we were crazy when we decided to do
this during Christmas music until we went and saw what
a joy filled place this was. And we thought if
we could share this story during a time when so
much millions of people are listening to Christmas music during
(00:46):
the Houston Holidays, what better way to give Saint Jude
a voice so patients like a manual, never get a
bill and your family. I want to welcome you all
to my podcast and Emmanuel, if you would share your
story with us, we would love to hear your experience
at Saint Jude.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
First off, Holner said, thank you for having me. Uh,
it's a pleasure. And my story started when I was
four years old. When I was four, I was diagnosed
with it in the black storm and my left eye.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
You know, the the process was, uh, it was a hassle.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
And in the beginning, before Saint Jude was involved, my
mom she took me to the doctor. They said, there's
nothing wrong my j glasses. Then she took me back again.
They said there's nothing wrong my glasses. And the third
time she took me that same doctor, he said I
had a tumor in my left eye. And as soon
as we found out it was life altern but as
(01:44):
hard as it was at the time, living in Oklahoma
and just not sure what we're gonna do, Saint Jude
stepped in and saved the day.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Saint Jude came in.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Uh, they paid for the flight, they paid for the hotel,
they paid for the surgery, and they paid for the
for everything, and they gave me the opportunity to continue
to live.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
By removing that tumor out of my eye.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
So now I'm twenty years old, I'm sixteen years cancer free,
and I'm just you know, I'm just so grateful for
Saint Jude. I'm playing football in college, running track, and
I'm so grateful to Saint Jude and for God allowed
me to live.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That's amazing. We're in Oklahoma, are you, Emmanuel.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
I'm in Texas right now, but at the time I
was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Tulsa.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
We just spent Thanksgiving with the kids in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,
and love it so much. And that is an incredible
And you know, I say that it's a joy filled place.
I bet when you were there, you're like, the doctors
are great, that everyone you're all in this together. You
meet other families, you go to the CA cafe, you
(02:52):
all eat together, you do your school work, you celebrate
holidays like Christmas there, right.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Yeah, it's so much fun. It's not even like a hospital.
You know, when I was four years old, you think
I'd be scared, but I wasn't an ounsterfere in my body.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
When I was there, I was able to have fun.
You know, go to arcade. I loved being.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Ourcades, my firs down there, and I still love going
there when I go back, and it's just been a
great time every time I go.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
And I bet the thing that your mom loves so
much about it is people that she'll never even meet
became partners in Hope, and that way she would go home,
back to her home with her little boy and never
see a bill.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Never will a bill come into your mailbox.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
That's so incredible about Saint Jude that we've never had
to pay for anything while we were there, not even food.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You know.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
They paid for everything that we would need and then
some more. And I actually found out my senior high
school and my own football coach was a partner in
Hope and him and his daughter they donated business lead
and they love to do so that's excellent.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
I love Jay Crew, and I know Jay Crew donates.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I'm always wearing my Jay Crew clothes whenever we're doing
our Saint Jude because I love them so much. And
you've got some incredible donors who are joining us today.
Because one of the most exciting parts of our radiothon
is when we're ready to go to the tote board
and we give the new number and it's in one hour.
It's just amazing how that number just grows and grows.
(04:32):
People are getting ready for Christmas, they're driving to work
or driving home from work, they're at work, and they're
still hearing the stories of Saint Jude. The lives that
have been saved and they want to become partners in
hope too. So we have got our two friends from
KBR and you are our tote board sponsors. Who wants
to talk first? How did you guys get involved with
(04:54):
Saint Jude? What's your story?
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah, thanks for having us and it's patients like a
manual is or why we got involved? You know, Kayla
and I who's who's here with me today? We both
have the opportunity to visit Memphis and Saint Jude Children's
Research Hospital and uh it really is a life altering experience.
(05:19):
And to know that your donations make it possible so
that Saint Jude families are never built for treatment, travel,
housing or food is incredible and the mission that they
have to end childhood cancer is becoming a reality. And
uh so we've KBR has been extremely pleased to be
(05:43):
a proud partner with Saint Jude for over ten years now.
It's an incredible mission that it aligns with our corporate values.
Just they zipper up really nice and to know that
you know, we can make a difference for patients like
a manual. You know, at four years old, can't imagine
(06:07):
what he was feeling, you know, the unknown, and to
help remove all of the worries and let them focus
on the patient and the patient activities and the treatment
and let that be the main thing is is why.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
We do it.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And Kayla, did you go with Philip to Saint Jude
as well and you got to experience What are your thoughts?
Speaker 6 (06:32):
Yeah, So I actually just went pretty recently two weeks ago,
and it was amazing because I've been working, you know
with the local Saint Jude fundraisers in Houston with their events.
KBR has a hand in a little bit of all
the Houston events, so it's been great to you know,
raise money that way, get volunteers to come out to
the walk run and events like that. But it was
(06:55):
great to actually go to Saint Jude and to see
it because obviously we're happy to raise money, but to
actually be there and see what it's doing, the people
were helping. So yeah, I was an amazing experience. I
definitely think if anyone gets the chance to go, you know,
it would it would be a great way to see
(07:15):
where the funds are going and you know who you're helping.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I mean, you think about it prior to you guys going,
you'd see a manual going, oh it was so fun,
and you're like, what you're you're you're there with cancer
at a hospital.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
But it's not a hospital.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I mean everything, Emanuel, you know, it never smelled like
a hospital, right, I mean, no one ever. The doctors
are just like your buds, and everyone's very forthcoming and
transparent and welcoming. And I've spoken to so many patients
whose dads and moms are like, we're gonna have to
mortgage the house.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
They're so afraid, and they go, no, you're at Saint Jude.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Now, you never have to get a bill, right, I mean,
I bet your mom was like.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
What, Yeah, it was, you know, it seemed like something
that's going to just make life go downhill.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
But Sain't you know, takes it every time.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
And a lot of people are like, well, but yeah,
but that's in Memphis. And so explain.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
What you guys learned Philip and Kayla about how Houston
benefits as well.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Did they talk to you about that?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Just as we always kind of have to say, well,
why are you doing something for a Memphis hospital.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
It's actually a worldwide hospital.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
That's exactly right, Dana.
Speaker 6 (08:28):
You know, the.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
While the main hospital there in Memphis is known, their
goal was to send the patients back to where they
live and help receive the treatment locally in their hometown.
And so the dollars raised. Yes they go through Saint
(08:51):
Jude in Memphis, but it has a worldwide impact because
they set up the treatment plan. But for most of
the patients, eatments are done locally in their hometown so
that they don't have to spend time in a hospital.
They can be in a familiar space and what they
know back in their hometown. It's incredible.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
You know.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
The other thing data when you visit the hospital, I
never once saw a wheelchair, you know, they and it
just never ever gives the feel of a hospital, and
it's there's never ever a feeling of doom or gloom.
It is nothing but hope and positivity that just permeates
(09:33):
through that facility. And you know, if you visit it,
you can't help but fall in love with what their
mission is and want to support.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
It for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Emmanuel, I'm curious, did you ever write one of the
notes on the wall the ABC's of Saint Jude, Because
I love that section. I'm big on making my kids
write essays, and you guys are so creative in your
ABC's of Saint Jude.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I think in the right one of them. But I
do love to see them every time. Yeah, it's going
to see in them.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
It's an amazing place and the pictures, the art, so
many celebrities, musicians have donated the you know Amy Grant
with her music room and and Sean this the snowboarder
with he's got the video room. I mean, there's just
it's just an incredible place and I really hope that.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
And now Emmanuel, you're in Houston.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now we're in Texas right now, Beaumont, in Beaumont, excellent,
you'll hear us.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Get all your friends and family.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
If they haven't become a partner in hope, just share
that we will be doing it. We'll be given out
that this shirt Saves Lives t shirt and we'll be
hearing more and more stories. I know I'll be playing
clips of this podcast for our listeners. So if they haven't,
so many people haven't heard of what exactly Saint Jude does,
sharing protocols that they've created there in Houston and around
(10:58):
the world. So Yes in Houston can benefit little kids
in Houston can benefit from the protocols that have been
researched at Saint Jude's. So, if I want to leave
you all with a chance to give your perspective on
why and how it can impact a person's life if
they become a partner in hope, we'll go with you
(11:18):
a manual first.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Now, there's just so many.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Like I said, I found out a my seenior year
of high school that my own football coach was a
partner hope. And also my grandfather, before I even had cancer,
he was donating and he just he just said that
he could never imagine how it would feel if that
happened to somebody in his family, and whenever it did
happen to his grandchild, it felt like he was he
(11:50):
felt a sense of like he helped, you know, being
the help, because when it comes to cancer, there's not
much you can do. But when you just thank you
with the hope of helping somebody else, it's a great feeling.
Coming from my own grandfather.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
That's amazing, that's beautiful. And Caleb, what about you.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Yeah, I'd say, similar to what Emmanuel's saying, you never
know who could who could have a child that ends
up with cancer. You would hope not anyone you would
ever know, but you know, donating whether it could be
someone you know or someone you don't know, you never
want to see a child go through that. And you know,
the work that Saint Jude's doing, they're hoping to end
that soon one day. So I would say, it's just
(12:34):
the hope that we won't ever have to talk about
pediatric cancer again because Saint Jude is going to get
rid of it.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Is the goal.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
That's amazing.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
And Philip, yeah, you know, look for nineteen bucks a
month you can get to this shirt Saves Lives a
shirt and it's a great way to tell others about
what the mission of Saint Jude is. And it's a
low cost, you know, it's it's what not going and
(13:04):
getting a coffee twice a month. So just excuse me,
just encourage everybody out there to to to look into
Saint Jude. Donate if you can at one hundred percent
saves lives and you know, it's an incredible place but
helps people all around the world, not just in Memphis
(13:26):
or in the US.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Right, And I love when they say, look, we just
want you to be with your child, will take care
of all the bills. You just make your child better,
and they've got an incredible support team that'll make it
happen so they can grow up to be handsome like
a manual playing football and live in his best life.
And we thank you all so much for sharing a
(13:49):
little bit of your story. We hope that this year
is even a bigger year than I think last year
we had all the radio stations at iHeart in Houston
do it.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
I think we raised over a million dollars, So it's
gonna be a big deal. It's gonna be a big deal.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
That's like our Christmas present to the kids at Saint Jude,
because I know they're counting on us. So thank you
all for your part, thanks for taking some time out
of your day, and we wish you guys a merry Christmas.