Brain Cancer Survivor Thrives 10 Years After St. Jude Care

When Chandler saw four hands and two basketballs during a high school game 10 years ago, he had no idea he was experiencing the first symptom of stage four brain cancer. The ball hit his face when his confused brain couldn't tell real from fake.

Doctors discovered a tumor called medulloblastoma at the back of his brain. The first surgery failed when surgeons found too much inflammation and blood in his spinal fluid, forcing them to close him up without removing the cancer.

A second surgery days later successfully removed the tumor. Chandler was then transferred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he finally felt hope.

"When I first got here, and we first talked to the first person intaking us, I felt like that was the first time I could take a breath," the now 25-year-old remembered. He endured 30 rounds of radiation and seven rounds of chemotherapy.

Chandler says a hospital near his home could have provided similar treatment using St. Jude protocols. But his family would have faced crushing medical bills that could have destroyed them financially.

"We would have had to pay for it, and it would have ruined us," he said. St. Jude never charges families for treatment, travel, housing, or food.

Why This Inspires

Chandler didn't just survive. He thrived in ways that seemed impossible during those dark early days.

He finished high school on time despite intensive cancer treatment. He earned a double major in biology and French from college. This past year marked his final annual checkup, and he'll now only need visits every five years.

Today, he's choosing between veterinary school and a master's program. The young man who once couldn't distinguish real hands from hallucinations is now planning a career helping animals.

"That's all because of the work of Dr. Gajjar, that's all because of the work of St. Jude, and how confident they are in what they are doing," he said. His story shows what's possible when families can focus on healing instead of bills.