VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital came into Macey’s life when she was just 5. Local doctors discovered she had a rare brain tumor.
“We found out St. Jude was having experimental research on this specific tumor and it can affect a patient’s life,” said Macey’s dad, Jason. “He ended up calling back within 15 minutes on his cell phone driving home.”
Within 2 weeks Macey was admitted to St. Jude in Memphis — all expenses covered by the hospital.
“They took us around the campus in the little truck, walked into the main hospital with balloons and colors,” Jason said. “It was just really happy.”
Almost 10 years later Macey is recovering and her family is involved in all things St. Jude does locally.
“We’ve been really just trying to pay back for everything they did for Macey,” he said.
Jason has a lot of connections in the building industry and has been helping to connect those people to the builder, Marnella Homes, as potential donors of materials for the St. Jude Dream Home Showplace.
The 2800-square-foot Dream Home, one of the homes on the Gro Parade of Homes in Clark County, will be sold with all the proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The home is currently under construction but will be ready to be sold when the Gro Clark County Parade of Homes takes place September 8-24. All the proceeds will go to St. Jude.
Jason and Macey hope to spread the word about this hospital where the staff becomes more like a second family.
“Once you start with St. Jude, you’re with St. Jude,” he said. “They pay attention, really, the rest of your life.”
St. Jude has a Walk/Run also scheduled for September, the same month as the Gro Parade of Homes.
