Promise – Autumn 2002
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CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1112 Memphis, TN PromiseA publication of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Autumn 2002 Call Public Relations Department 332 N. Lauderdale Memphis, Tennessee 38105-2794 of the 901-495-3306 Main hospital line: 901-495-3300 Donations: 1-800-822-6344 Wild Physicians referrals: 1-888-226-4343 Public information: 901-495-3306 Visit our Web site at www.stjude.org. page 4 St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities and ALSAC are registered trademarks. Promise is a quarterly publication of the Department of Public Relations St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 332 N. Lauderdale A publication of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Autumn 2002 Memphis, Tennessee 38105 Promise late entertainer Danny Thomas. It opened February 4, 1962. The hospital St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s mission is to find cures for was created because of a promise Danny made during the depression era to children with catastrophic diseases Features through research and treatment. 3 One More for the Rhodes St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of the hopeless. Leaving a legacy with a charitable gift annuity Hospital Director Arthur W. Nienhuis, MD ALSAC National Executive Director Richard C. Shadyac 4 Call of the Wild “Show me my way in life,” Danny prayed. In return, Danny promised to build Future zoo owner Eli Barr ALSAC/St. Jude Vice President of Communications and Public Relations St. Jude Thaddeus a shrine. That shrine became a hospital that would treat Jerry Chipman Director of Public Relations 9 Party with a Purpose Judith W. Black ® children regardless of race, color, creed or their ability to pay. This remarkable Rockin’ and rollin’ with Up ’Til Dawn ALSAC Director of Communications George Shadroui event also inspired the name of this magazine, Publications Manager Lois M. Young 10 The Good News Clinic Editor Helping kids with endocrine problems Promise. Elizabeth Jane Walker Art Director Jessica W. Anderson 14 Tools of the Trade Photo Editor Structural biologists strap on their Phillip Murphy tool belts Photographers Seth Dixon 19 Strings Attached Laura Hajar Evanne Newman It’s more than just a colorful sewing project Contributing Writers Tanuja Coletta Alicia H. Matthews Amanda Shaker Highlights Guest Author Frederick W. Smith 2 Literary Benefits: The Right Words at the Right Time Editorial Advisory Board Research Highlights Sandra d’Azzo, PhD Bonnie Cameron Leslie Davidson Pat Flynn, MD Perspective Amar Gajjar, MD Mark Hendricks 24 Frederick W. Smith Lisa Hill FedEx and St. Jude: Partners saving lives Ed Horwitz, MD, PhD Julia Cay Jones, PhD Dana Marshall, PhD Ken Massey Promise is now available on the Internet! David McKee Keri Meyer Check us out at www.stjude.org/Promise. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD Clinton Stewart, PharmD Jerrylaine Walker, PhD Sally Wiard St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is an equal-opportunity employer. For inquiries about John Zacher stories in this publication, call the Public Relations department at (901) 495-3306 or e-mail St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee [email protected]. Visit our Web site at www.stjude.org/Promise. Articles and pho- tos may be reprinted with permission. ©2002. On the cover: St. Jude patient Eli Barr. Photo by Laura Hajar. Highlights One More for the Rhodes Octogenarians William and Millicent Rhodes are survivors. Their Literary benefits words that were delivered by a loved treat A-T patients with hematological Marlo Thomas, National Outreach one, heard in a movie or play, sung on cancers. gifts will ensure that St. Jude children are survivors, as well. director for St. Jude Children’s the radio, told in a joke or even drawn Research Hospital, has published an in a cartoon. inspiring new book that draws on the “All of these stories confirmed Bone bonanza B Y A LICIA H. MATTHEWS life experiences of more than 100 something I’ve always suspected,” St. Jude researchers have discovered remarkable people. The Right Words observes Thomas, “that whether we that treatment with bone marrow at the Right Time features the wit and know it or not, each of us carries our mesenchymal cells, specialized bone- wisdom of Al Pacino, Paul McCartney, own unique slogan, a custom-made making cells, has the potential to And at the age of able to enjoy life as he and his wife Gwyneth Paltrow, Walter Cronkite, catchphrase that resonates throughout enhance the therapeutic effects of bone 89, he and his wife have over the years. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sarah Jessica our lives.” marrow transplantation in patients Millicent, 85, have The couple has made a charitable Parker, Cal Ripken Jr., Steven For many weeks, the book has been with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle lived through more gift annuity and have included Spielberg, Itzhak Perlman, Venus listed on The New York Times best- bone disease. “This is the first human than most people St. Jude in their will. A charitable gift Williams, Rudolph Giuliani, seller list, skyrocketing to No. 1 in trial to clearly show the therapeutic could ever imagine. annuity enables donors to make gifts Muhammad Ali, Katie Couric and May. All proceeds from the volume potential of mesenchymal cells and When they were to St. Jude while still receiving the many others, including Nobel laureate benefit St. Jude. represents a significant step forward young, their only investment income for themselves or Peter Doherty, PhD, of St. Jude. The in the development of cellular thera- child died. That’s their families. In exchange for gifts to contributors recount how they reached pies,” said Edwin Horwitz, MD, PhD, why the decision to St. Jude, donors or their beneficiaries crucial turning points by hearing the Genetic link discovered of the St. Jude Hematology-Oncology donate to St. Jude receive fixed payments for life and right words at the right time. Interactions between the genes department. Children’s Research reap certain tax benefits. These kinds The first-person accounts encom- mutated in two different rare inherited The findings appeared in the June Hospital was an of gifts allow donors to help the chil- pass life’s struggles and adventures, disorders, Fanconi anemia and ataxia- issue of the journal Proceedings of the easy one. “We lost dren of St. Jude today while enhancing demonstrating how each individual telangiectasia (A-T), provide new National Academy of Sciences. our daughter,” says their own financial futures. found hope and wisdom through insights into tumor development and William, “but we St. Jude families may never have the responses of tumors to believe in doing opportunity to meet these generous therapy. The study was Something to grow about what we can to donors, but they can be assured that led by Michael Kastan, Children whose treatment for acute help. St. Jude is the Rhodes family is pulling for them. MD, PhD, and Bo Xu, lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) causes William and doing a good thing “We just love to help people, and MD, PhD, of St. Jude them to stop growing can safely regain Millicent Rhodes by helping these we’re glad to be able to do what we Hematology-Oncology height with growth hormone shots, can for the chil- and Alan D’Andrea, according to St. Jude scientists. ALL A charitable gift annuity allows William dren at St. Jude,” MD, of Dana-Farber treatment can hamper the body’s pro- “Survivor” says William. Cancer Institute at duction of growth hormone, which is has become a commonly used word in and Millicent Rhodes to help the children “My wife and I Harvard Medical necessary to attain normal height. our society. From the self-assured have led an excit- School. The collabora- Wing Leung, MD, PhD, of the St. Jude lyrics of the singing sensation of St. Jude today while enhancing their ing life. Our hope tion unveiled a genetic Hematology-Oncology department Destiny’s Child to the newest rage in own financial future. is that these chil- link between Fanconi and his colleagues compared the long- reality television, everyone is focused dren will survive anemia and A-T. term health of childhood ALL sur- on what it means to be a survivor. But their illnesses and Published in the May vivors treated with growth hormone to one St. Jude donor knew the meaning children, and my wife and I want to do be able to live long, prosperous lives.” 2002 issue of Cell, this that of childhood ALL survivors not of the word long before it became one our part.” For information about how you can discovery helps explain treated with it. The researchers found of the latest trends. Residents of Nashville, Tennessee, help St. Jude children through a chari- the responses of normal that the group treated with growth William Rhodes is a veteran of William and Millicent donate to sever- table gift annuity or other type of gift, and tumor cells to hormone had no higher risk of a World War II. He clearly remembers al organizations around the world. But call the Gift Planning department at radiation treatment relapse or second cancer than the fighting the war and almost losing his they have a unique bond with St. Jude. (901) 578-2108, or toll free at and chemotherapy. other group. life from injuries incurred when a Because he has overcome difficult cir- (800) 877-5833, ext. 2081. St. Jude recently The researchers reported their find- bomb landed near him on Normandy cumstances, William carries a special opened an ataxia- ings in the July 2002 edition of Journal Beach. Lt. Rhodes received several rib- place in his heart for the children at telangiectasia clinic to of Clinical Oncology.