Amanda Dixon
19 years old

Diagnosis:

Amanda was found to suffer from anaplastic meningioma in March 2005.

Amanda's Story:

One morning, as 15-year-old Amanda sat in class, her right leg suddenly went numb. Even though her leg felt strange, Amanda did her best to continue with her day. But when school let out, her right arm was also numb and she had trouble moving it. Her parents were very concerned and took her to the local emergency room where doctors did a CT scan. Within hours, what had started out as a normal day for Amanda turned into anything but normal: She was found to suffer from anaplastic meningioma, a type of brain tumor. That night, she was rushed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in an ambulance. “Until that day I never had any symptoms,” recalled Amanda. “I thought I had a pinched nerve or something. You never expect something like this. I never dreamed it was this.”

At St. Jude:

Amanda had surgery to remove the tumor at the local children’s hospital and then she was referred to St. Jude, where our doctors treated her with eight weeks of radiation. While in treatment, there were some scary moments, but there were also happy times, like Amanda’s celebration of her 16th birthday at St. Jude. After treatment, Amanda’s St. Jude doctors gave her a good prognosis. She went home, returning to St. Jude every three months for checkups. For awhile, Amanda lived the life of a typical high school student.

But, just two years later, the unthinkable happened. "I was in bed one morning and it felt like something was sitting on my chest and it hurt to breathe," Amanda remembered. Her parents rushed her to the emergency room where, once again, Amanda and her family found themselves awaiting the results of a CT scan. For the second time, the news was not good. “When the doctor said he saw a mass on my lungs, I thought no, no, not again,” said Amanda. Within days, she was back at St. Jude and doctors confirmed the family’s worst fear. The mass on her lungs was cancerous.

During Amanda’s second time at St. Jude, she had chemotherapy and surgery, followed by radiation to her chest. She has now completed treatment, and has no evidence of disease. She returns to St. Jude every three months for checkups.

Amanda graduated from high school last year and wants to study business in college. She loves photography and hopes to one day own her own photography business. Amanda is grateful for the treatment and care St. Jude provided to her twice. “It’s really a special place,” she said. “Everyone works so hard to make sure kids are able to play and be kids.”

July 2008