Dear Friends of St. Jude,

Like all parents who love their children, you work hard to provide for them and hope to watch them grow into prosperous young adults capable of going out into the world to make their own way with the values they were taught growing up in a small town.  We were no different.  Life seemed so easy, so stress free, and so safe…and in an instant, the life you know and love can change without notice.

Our story began in November of 1995 when our son Kristopher, at age 7, became sick. Kristopher was by every definition, an “All American Boy”-healthy, energetic, full of life and a great little league baseball player.  One day Kris came home from his elementary school complaining of a bruise on his back and said it was hurting.  At first I didn’t think much of it, but as his complaints worsened and more bruises started to appear, I decided to take him to the doctor to be checked out.  After running blood work, it was determined that he most likely had a blood cancer called Leukemia. 

Devastation and despair are the only words I could use to describe the feelings we had at that moment.  We were immediately sent to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana for further testing.  Many hours later Kristopher would be diagnosed with Asplastic Anemia, a bone marrow disease that was still being researched with no definitive treatment or prognosis known at that time.  We stayed at LSU for a few days to have many tests and procedures run, including a Double Lumen Hickman line surgically placed for blood transfusions.  Next, we were off to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Arriving at St. Jude, I have to admit the process and the reality of all that was going on was very overwhelming.  After a very long night of paperwork and running an endless amount of tests, the doctors and nurses made us feel safe and reassured.  We were officially a St. Jude family with a St. Jude patient.  This was our home now.  Once we settled in, we realized we were in the right place.  After all, it’s about “Saving the Lives of our Children” and finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Kristopher, now 20 years old, is with us today because of the Lord above and the tireless efforts of all the doctors, nurses, researchers and a multitude of volunteers and contributions for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital across the United States and the world.

Our plight and relationship with St. Jude would span over the next ten years.  In July of 2006, Kristopher was declared completely well with normal blood work and no sign of Aplastic Anemia.  This was our last visit to St. Jude and a glorious one at that.

Kristopher has never lost sight of the gift of life he received at St. Jude.  He went on to graduate from Minden High School in May 2007 and then joined the United States Marine Corps in June of 2007.  He has traveled quite a bit this last year and is currently stationed in Ramadi, Iraq, proudly serving God and his country.  Kristopher is fulfilling his dream of being a United States Marine because so many cared enough to donate to St. Jude.

When asked to be this year’s patient representative of the St. Jude Minden Auction, Kristopher said yes as long as the auction did not focus just on him; rather, he wanted it to highlight all the children currently being treated at St. Jude from our area, all the children who might one day need the healing of St. Jude and those children who lost their battle with this horrible disease called cancer.

We are so proud of our hometown of Minden, Louisiana, and all of the wonderful people who work so hard each year to make the St. Jude Minden Auction a success.

Please help support this wonderful place so many have had to call home while being treated.  Please give to St. Jude! 

The Xifos Family