Special Reports
You've heard a lot about the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway these past few weeks. We want to introduce you to the face of this year's home. His story is a reminder to us all why each day is a gift. 3 year old Ian Miller is everybody's best buddy, and the 3 year old loves preschool. Before this year, he was too sick to come. When he was just 16 months old, a routine checkup led to a disturbing brain scan. The news brought Jason and Anna Miller to their knees. It was a PNET, a primitive neural ectodermal tumor. Very aggressive. The Franklin family couldn't get to the operating room fast enough, even though they knew the scientific odds were not in their favor. Amazingly, Ian pulled through the 11 hour brain surgery. Because the tumor was so rare, the Millers chose treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Considered the #1 pediatric research hospital in the country, St. Jude only treats the sickest of the sick, and their son unfortunately fit that category, because the tumor grew back to its original size within a few short weeks. Now, little Ian needed a 2nd brain surgery. St. Jude was founded by actor Danny Thomas in 1962. Research here has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancers from just 20% up to 80% today. What little Ian woul dneed besides 4 months of chemotherapy was potentially damaging radiation, typically never used on a child under 3. For safety reasons, St. Jude paid for and sent the Millers to a new proton beam radiation facility in Florida. The treatment was more pinpoint, less damaging to the toddler's developing brain. The first time we introduced you to little Ian, he was in the trenches fighting his cancer with everything he had. He'd lost his hair too, and now it's all grown back with nice thick curls, and the Millers, who have a miracle before their very eyes, don't ask for much more. This year's home is being built in honor of Ian Miller, and your $100 ticket helps cover the cost of groundbreaking research at St. Jude. Research that helps kids like Ian. Come see the Dream Home for yourself any day this week. There's only one week left to get your ticket. The LIVE giveaway drawing is next Sunday! Call 1.800.746.6713 to get your ticket now.Hope For a Cure: Ian Miller
Monday, June 20 2011, 01:10 AM CDT