949 THE BULL ST JUDE RADIOTHON 2023 ST JUDE PATIENT JEREMY FROM ESTES SERVICES

Estes Services is a proud sponsor of the 94.9 The Bull's St Jude Country Cares for Kids Radiothon
Angie Ward spoke with one of Estes Services technicians who is also a St Jude Patient along with his Mom Susan about thei experience and why you should give

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, It's Antie Ward. Itis the week of the year that I
love the most. It's the weekthat we all come together to try to
raise money for one of my favoriteorganizations, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
And I have an amazing story toshare with you with two amazing people who
are joining me today, Susan andJeremy. You know, I say all

(00:22):
the time when you're listening to meon the radio talk about Saint Jude Children's
Research Hospital, that you just neverknow who it's going to affect. You
could be walking down the street,standing there next to someone you know at
a stoplight about to cross the street, and never know that they were a
Saint Jude patient. And I'm sittinghere in the studio and my friend Jeremy
from SD Services, who has literallybeen to my house to work on all

(00:46):
of my heating and air services,I find out today that you are a
Saint Jude patient. I am aSaint Jude patient forty six years ago.
Yeah, how old were you?Well? I was a newborn, really
all right? And your mom,Susan's here, Hi, everybody, So
Susan, you have a pre MEInewborn Jeremy, who is born and diagnosed

(01:08):
with what he had a hole inhis heart? A hole in his heart,
yes, ma'am. He weighed twopounds fourteen ounces and I was only
twenty eight weeks. Oh, andI had him. He was two months
early. All right, Jeremy istelling me to ask how old you were?
I was just seventeen, okay,so I was a baby myself,

(01:30):
right, And through this whole process, Saint Jude was so awesome and a
lot of people don't know that.Yes, there's the cancer end of it.
They also did a lot more thanthat. So when he was born,
did the doctors suggest Saint Jude immediately? It's yes. All through the
state, they took care of everything. They said, this is what we're

(01:51):
going to do. This is plant, this is our plan. He's going
to go from this hospital to thathospital and we're going to take care of
everything one hundred percent. And youhave no worries. I'm sorry, I'm
just I'm just trying to picture,like baby Jeremy, that could probably just
fit in your hand at that point. Would you like to see it?
Oh my goodness, Oh look howtiny you were? You are not this
tiny now? That is amazing andso you're seventeen. Did you guys live

(02:16):
here in Georgia. No, welived in Illinois at the time, Okay,
all right, And so he wentfrom Illinois to Saint Louis. And
you know, I tell people thatall the time. The great thing about
Saint Jude. The hospital is inMemphis, but they share their research freely.
So you lived in Illinois, Yes, you went to Memphis. You
now live in Georgia. And Jeremy, I know you can attest to this.

(02:38):
Once you're a Saint Jude patient,You're a Saint Jude patient forever,
right forever? Yeah, And sothey keep tabs on you and keep checking
on you, right to make sureyou're okay. Even when you're a teenager
and you get older. Oh theydo. They check on you, phone
calls, you know, they contactyou by the internet, stuff like that.

(03:00):
So I want to know because John, who's your boss over here in
the studio from Esdi's And John,you can step up to the mic too
if you want. You and Iwere just talking like we didn't know that
Jeremy was a Saint Jude patient.You guys have been supporting Saint Jude for
quite some time. What do youdo Jeremy, did you or how did

(03:20):
you figure this out? How didthis come out? Well? I actually
came to another employee, Catalina,and you know, I told her that
I was affiliated with Saint Jude whenI was a new born. I was
born with a whole my heart.Saint Jude stepped up immediately took care of
us one hundred percent, and Johnwas like, well, all right,
then there's where my money's going.Right. Absolutely, it's so great to

(03:44):
see the end result of what we'regiving to and if we can just help
a little bit. That Jeremy wasable to be here today and we can
we can see his story play outright before us. It's fantastic. I
say that all the time that whenyou call one eight hundred and ninety four
two eight three to you become apartner in hope. For me as a
parent, it's insurance, you know, in case I get that word that

(04:05):
day that my child needs to goto Saint Jude, I know that I
have helped pave the road and keepthose doors open. People like SD's Services
coming on and helping us with theradiothon. And it is amazing because we
hear stories about little kids, butyou did, you say forty seven,
forty six, forty six. I'mso sorry. I'm gonna have to pay

(04:25):
for that later. But forty sixyears ago and here you are. You're
thriving, you're working, and you'rehealthy. I am all things to Saint
Jude. Yeah, and you knowall the doctors and nurses and everybody that
was involved behind the scenes that Inever had a chance to meet or think.
And once again, Jeremy had ahole in his heart, so it

(04:46):
wasn't cancer. It was a holein your heart. But Saint Jude is
so broad at helping save children's livesthat they were there for you. Susan
jear Me's mom. And you saidearlier you were really young, seventeen.
I think you said it was soat seventeen years old. I mean,
it's hard to handle everything anyway,but then to have this sick baby,

(05:13):
how did the people at Saint Judehelp and treat you? They were amazing.
They actually have with me. Theymade him a little doghouse out of
a out of a blade box anda little pipe cleaner dog and it's called
Hansel the Wonder Dog, and theyjust made us feel that comfortable. All
I had to do was ask forwhatever I needed. They explained everything,

(05:35):
They held my hand the whole way, and he actually did go back for
a five year reunion. They hada huge group of kids, just big
smiles on their faces, and it'sthe doctors and nurses were so happy to
see everybody. I love it thatyou're still here and you're actually taking care
of my heating and air on aregular face. I appreciate that this really

(05:58):
worked out for me. Okay,but every year when it comes time to
donate to Saint Jude's, I'm rightthere. Yeah, yeah, and that
is so fantastic. You hear thatover and over to the patients, the
families. They want to spread theword to give back because they know how
important it is to not have toworry about paying anything. Absolutely, we
never saw a bill, nothing,nothing. Just put us at ease.

(06:23):
We're taking care of it all.Well. I appreciate you sharing your story
with me today, and thanks fortaking care of my heating and air two
with SD's services anytime. Yeah,and John, thank you for everything you
guys do with us here at ninetyfour point nine in the bull. I
can't tell you you sponsored the SaintJude Walk and the Radiothon because you believe

(06:45):
right well, it's the least wecould do. Thank you, Angie,
well, thank you again for makingsure that I'm not cold this winter