Survivors Celebrate St. Jude's 50th

Memphis, Tn - An idea born of a prayer, and sketched on the back of a napkin has changed the survival rates of kids fighting cancer.

Today, hundreds gathered at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital celebrating the bold vision of Danny Thomas 50 years ago.

Among the crowd, an emotional mother who says without the hospital, her daughter wouldn't be alive.

On December 3, 2010, doctors diagnosed the now 13-year-old Leslie Price with cancer.

The grief-stricken family remembers arrived in Memphis from Kingsport, TN. Comforting arms met them at the doors of the St. Jude Children's Research Center.

Leslie represents thousands of kids who are battling cancer. In Tennessee, 260 children are diagnosed each day. Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in children under 15 years old.

"I will tell you now, without this place, I don't think my daughter would be here with us," said Leslie's mom.

For 50 years, the internationally recognized cancer center for kids has emerged as a world leader integrating science and medicine to create a cure for tomorrow.

It's a beacon of hope deserving of this celebration on its 50th birthday. And the Price family is honored to share in the successes, adding another page in the hospital's history. They hope their journey helps others.