Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
The Konkus family
For most kids, the start of summer signals freedom from school and adventures with friends and family.
For Colleen McChesney Konkus, one summer, 35 years ago, was the beginning of a journey that would forever change her life.
At 10 years old, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Three days after the diagnoses, she and her family walked into St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, a Memphis pediatric treatment facility that treats all patients regardless of ability to pay, for the first time.
“That was the first time I realized I had cancer, because a 10-year-old doesn’t process that,” Konkus says.
She still remembers her patient number, marking her as the 8,695th patient through the doors. Even more, she remembers the feeling of safety that St. Jude provided her. Between being surrounded by other bald-headed children who looked just like her and the great lengths to which St. Jude went to keep her life as normal as possible, her experience is not what most people expect of a serious childhood illness. She says most people expect it to be the worst experience of their lives, but because of St. Jude, she says, “it really wasn’t that bad.”
When St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened its doors in 1962, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, was 96 percent fatal. Now, it’s 96 percent curable.
Because of that incredible experience, Konkus and her family have been committed to supporting St. Jude ever since. Today, Steve McChesney, Konkus’s father, is part of a committee that plans the annual Discover the Dream fundraiser for St. Jude.
“It’s truly a rewarding thing for me,” McChesney says, noting that the event usually raises at least $550,000 each year. “St. Jude’s leads the world in the way the world understands, treats and defeats cancer. They freely share every discovery they make with the world. For every child that is saved at St. Jude’s, thousands more are saved worldwide.”
The 13th annual Discover the Dream is set for May 17. Guests will hear from a patient speaker and enjoy cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, and a “Give to Live” event. Proceeds will support St. Jude’s mission to never give a family a bill for treatment, housing or food.
When asked what St. Jude means to her, Konkus tears up.
“It means everything. It’s life, it’s hope.”
Bianca Wilson is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
