HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A pickleball tournament in Henrico on Saturday raised money for cancer research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with organizers hoping to hit a $25,000 fundraising goal.
The first "Love Pickle — Stop Cancer" St. Jude Pickleball Tournament at Performance Pickleball supported patients like Leah, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia as a baby and was told she would not live past 36 weeks.
Leah was diagnosed with AML leukemia at 18 months old at the end of 2010. Her subtype was described as very rare. She did not respond to chemotherapy, but St. Jude pioneered a parent stem cell transplant, using her mother's stem cells to defeat the cancer. Leah recently celebrated 15 years in remission.
Today, Leah is a junior in high school, plays field hockey as a goalie and is looking at colleges.
"Because of St. Jude, I get to have a full life," Leah said. "I was expected to have heart problems and lung problems, and I walked away with some microdonts, and that's about it."
Her mother, Kate Duggan, said she was faced with the possibility of only having 36 more weeks with her child and never paid for a single plane ticket, meal or treatment during their time at St. Jude.
"Every donation makes a difference. That donation brought us to Saint Jude," Kate Duggan said.
Duggan said organizations like St. Jude are saving lives every day.
"I really, there's not much I can say, but as a mom, I'll get choked up," Duggan said. "But thank you, thank you so much. Thank you for the gift of my daughter. Thank you on behalf of every other parent and patient that's there at that hospital."
St. Jude representative Caroline Coblar told attendees that the hospital has increased the childhood cancer survival rate in the United States from 20% in the 1950s to over 80% today.
At the time of the event, organizers announced they had already raised $17,400 toward their $25,000 goal through the "Give to Live Rally for Hope" challenge.
St. Jude Virginia Market Area Managing Director Jeremy Gray said the tournament's impact would be felt far beyond the courts.
"On behalf of the patients and the children of Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, we thank you for being here," Gray said.
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