[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, ITS TIME FOR TODAYS
"THANKS & GIVING" AND THE LIFE
SAVING WORK OF ST. JUDES CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL IN
TENNESSEE.
TENNESSEE.
AND A TRIO OF NURSES, ALL WITH THE SAME FIRST NAME, ALL WITHH
THE SAME FIRST NAME, ALL WITH THEIR HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD
CANCER.
CANCER.
SHEINELLE JONES HAS AN UNBELIEVABLE REPORT.AN
UNBELIEVABLE REPORT. >> Reporter: AT ST. JUDES
CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, LIVING PROOF OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF A HEALTHY FUTURE IS FOUND.
>> GOOD JOB.
>> Reporter: ASHLEY GAULT.
AND ASHLEY BEDARD.
BOTH NURSES IN THEIR 20s.
BOTH CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS.
AND BOTH TREATED AT ST. JUDE, THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEYREUDE,
THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEYRE CURRENTLY WORKING.
CURRENTLY WORKING.
>> I WAS 10 MONTHS OLD WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED.NTHS OLD WHEN I
WAS DIAGNOSED. A SOLID LIVER TUMOR.
>> Reporter: ACTUALLY P LILY BED
CANCER DIAGNOSIS CAME AT 19.
BOTH NURSES ARE NOW CANCER-FREE
AND LIVING THEIR LIVES TO THE
FULLEST.
ONE MARRIED WITH A BABY. THE OTHER GOT ENGAGED LAST YEAR.
>> IT WAS MY DREAM JOB TO COME
TO ST. JUDE.
ITS A JOY.
>> I WILL BE SATISFIED HERE AT
ST. JUDE, AS LONG AS I MAKE ONE
PATIENTS DAY BETTER.
>> I MISSED YOU.
>> AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THERES A THIRD NURSE ASHLEY,
ASHLEY MATIRE.
ASHLEY MATIRE. SHE, TOO, HAD CANCER, OSTEO
SARCOMA, AS A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL,
TREATED AT ST. JUDE.
>> I WAS SITTING IN MY MOMS
LAP.
LAP.
AND SHE WAS RUNNING HER HAND OVER MY LEG.RUNNING HER HAND
OVER MY LEG. AND SHE FELT A KNOT.
>> Reporter: AT 10 YEARS OLD,
WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
>> OUR FAMILYS WORLD FLIPPED
UPSIDE DOUN.
UPSIDE DOUN. UPSIDEDOWN.
UPSIDEDOWN.
NO ONE EXPECTS TO BE TOLD THAT
ITS CANCER.
OUR DOCTOR SAID, WE HAVE A PLAN. WERE GOING TO FIGHT THIS.A PLAN.
WERE GOING TO FIGHT THIS. >> Reporter: IT WAS NO SURPRISE
WHEN SHE FORMED A SPECIAL BAND
WITH LIZZIE, WHO IS 10 AND WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEO SARCOMA,
THE SAME CANCER AS ASHLEY
MATIRE.
MATIRE.
WHY IS SHE SPECIAL TO YOU? >> SHE REMINDS ME OF MYSELF.
I FELT THE WAY SHES FELT.
AND I WALKED IN HER SHOES
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> Reporter: LIZZIE WAS AN
ACTIVE 9-YEAR-OLD.
ACTIVE 9-YEAR-OLD. BUT THEN, A SIGN OF TROUBLE.
>> I LIMPED AROUND FOR A LONG
TIME.
TIME.
MY MOM WAS LIKE, WE BETTER GET
IT CHECKED OUT.
AND SO, WENT TO THE PEDIATRICIAN.TO THE
PEDIATRICIAN.
AND THEY SAY, YEAH, LETS GET A SCAN.HEY SAY, YEAH, LETS GET A
SCAN.
THEY DID A BIOPSY. A FEW DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING,
THEY TOLD US THAT I HAD OSTEO
SARCOMA IN MY RIGHT FEMUR.
LOTS OF OUR FRIENDS SAID,
ST. JUDES A GOOD PLACE.
WE CHECKED IT OUT.
AND ON THE DAY OF THANKSGIVING,
THEY CALLED US AND SAID, HEY,
YOUR SHOULD IS IN.
AND MY DAD WAS LIKE, WHY ARE YOU
CALLING ON THANKSGIVING?
AND SHE SAID, CANCER KNOWS NO
HOLIDAY.
HOLIDAY.
>> Reporter: HER FIRST DOCTORS DIDNT THINK THEY COULD SAVE HER
LEG, ST. JUDE WAS ABLE TO
PERFORM LIMB-SAVING SURGERY ON
LIZZIE.
LIZZIE. WHAT KEPT YOUR SPIRITS UP?
>> SHE JUST HAD A BABY.
AND NOW, IM LIKE, I COULD DO
THAT.
THAT.
>> AND THATS SPECIAL FOR ME, TOO.ND THATS SPECIAL FOR ME,
TOO.
ITS VERY, VERY REWARDING.
>> SHE IS THE NATIONAL OUTREACH
DIRECTOR FOR ST. JUDE CHILDRENS
RESEARCH HOSPITAL.
PLEASE WELCOME, MARLO THOMAS.
[ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THATS SOME STORY, ISNT IT?
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THE THREE ASHLEYS HAVE A
CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH.
WHATS THE STORY WITH LIZZIE?
>> LIZZIES CANCER HAS COME
BACK, UNFORTUNATELY.
BACK, UNFORTUNATELY. WE GAVE HER A LIMB-SAVING
PROCEDURE.
PROCEDURE.
AND SO, SHE DIDNT HAVE TO HAVE HER LEG AMPUTATED.HAVE TO HAVE
HER LEG AMPUTATED. BUT SOMETIMES THERES
METASTASIZED CELLS THAT RUN
THROUGH THE BODY.
NOW, SHE DOES HAVE HER CANCER
BACK.
BACK.
BUT THANK GOD SHES AT ST. JUDE AND WELL DO EVERYTHING WE CANE
AND WELL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAVE HER.
SHES BACK ON CHEMO NOW.
>> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR HER
TO SEE SOMEONE LIKE ASHLEY, WHO
HAD THE SAME CANCER AND IS
WORKING AS A NURSE AT THE SAME
HOSPITAL, HELPING KIDS LIKE HER.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. THEY HAD THEIR OSTEO SARCOMA AT
THE SAME AGE.
YOU CAN SEE, ASHLEY HAS A BABY
AND A LIFE OF HER OWN. AND THATS REALLY ENCOURAGED
LIZZIE TO FEEL THAT SOME DAY SHE
COULD HAVE THE SAME THING, AFTER
GOING THROUGH THIS.
THATS WHATS INSPIRING ABOUT
THESE NURSES WHO ARE CHILDREN AT
ST. JUDE AND THEY WANT TO COME
BACK AND WORK AT ST. JUDE.
THEY WANT TO GIVE BACK AND GIVE
CHILDREN THE LOVE THEY GOT AND
TO HELP THEM.
ITS PART OF THE HEALING.
>> YOUVE DEDICATED YOUR LIFE TO
THIS.
THIS.
ITS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. ITS HARD TO WATCH.OPLE.
ITS HARD TO WATCH. ITS SO PAINFUL.
TO THOSE PEOPLE, WHAT SAY YOU?
>> WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU.
I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE DOING
THIS.
THIS.
WHEN MY FATHER DIED 20 -- ALMOST 26 YEARS AGO, I STARTED WORKINGT
26 YEARS AGO, I STARTED WORKING WITH ST. JUDE AS AN HOMAGE TO
HIM.
HIM.
I LOVED HIM SO MUCH.
I WANTED TO DO A LITTLE BIT, AS I WOULD IN HIS MEMORY.E BIT, AS
I WOULD IN HIS MEMORY. ONCE I GOT STARTED AND METD THE
CHILDREN AND MET THE PARENTS, I
WAS HOOKED FOR LIFE.
THEY CALL IT THE ST. JUDE FEVER,
ONCE YOURE THERE.
AND I HELD A DYING CHILD IN MY
ARMS ONE DAY.
A DAD SAID, WOULD YOU SAY
GOOD-BYE TO DOUGLAS.
AND DOUGLAS HAD DONE SOME
TELEVISION COMMERCIALS WITH ME
FOR ST. JUDE.
AND I WENT IN.
AND I HELD HIM IN MY ARMS.
AND I TALKED TO HIM.
I SAID, DOUGLAS, YOU REALLY
FOUGHT HARD.
FOUGHT HARD. AND HE WAS 6 YEARS OLD.
I SAID, YOU FOUGHT SO HARD,
DOUGLAS.
DOUGLAS.
IM SO PROUD OF YOU. I LOVE YOU. OF YOU.
I LOVE YOU. SAY HELLO TO MY DADDY WHEN YOU
GET TO HEAVEN.
AND IT CHANGED ME.
IT CHANGED ME AS A PERSON.
IM A DIFFERENT PERSON BECAUSE
OF IT.
OF IT. AND IT SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING I COULD REALLY DO.
THESE PARENTS TRUSTED ME AND
THEY WANTED ME TO BE THE ONE TO
SAY GOOD-BYE.
SAY GOOD-BYE. AND THATS BECOME A MISSION IN
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. I MEAN, IM STILL AN ACTRESS AND
A PRODUCER.
A PRODUCER. BUT THERES NOTHING SO ENRICHING
IN MY LIFE AS BEING AN ADVOCATE
FOR ST. JUDE.
>> YOUR COMMITMENT TO ST. JUDE