CEO and Co-founder, Richard W. Brown has a personal story of triumph over tragedy that has helped him to succeed throughout life, while inspiring hope in others. In spring of 1992, Richard developed a knot on his leg. He tried to hide it from his mother because he didn’t want anything to get in the way of his playing sports at school. But when his sister saw the knot, she told their mother, who decided a trip to the doctor was in order.

Doctors performed a biopsy on the knot and discovered that it was cancerous. Richard had Hodgkin disease, and without further treatment, doctors estimated, he had about two weeks to live. The family was offered a glimmer of hope, though - one of the physicians was familiar with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, located in Memphis, Tenn. 

At St. Jude, Richard received radiation and chemotherapy. Unlike most people who receive such intense treatment, Richard never lost any of his hair during the process. The adjustment to being in a hospital in a new town was hard on Richard, and he didn’t always want to go to his appointments or receive his treatment. He remembers that his favorite St. Jude staff members went above and beyond to ensure that some normalcy remained in his life, making sure that he got to play sports and go to church.

Today, nearly 17 years after he was given the initial two-week diagnosis, Richard enjoys a successful career in basketball playing for the American Basketball Association and has recently launched a charitable fundraising organization, Action-for-Awareness. He is grateful for the care he received at St. Jude, and is now giving hope to children living with cancer.