Shreveport man credits St. Jude with saving his life nearly 60 years ago

"I was always sick. I could never get well," McEachern recalled.

His journey began in Shreveport, where physician Dr. Donald Mack recognized something was seriously wrong and escorted the toddler to St. Jude. At the time, the Memphis hospital was still in its early years and pioneering new treatments for childhood cancers and other catastrophic diseases.

For his mother, Doris Sue Polston, the diagnosis and the trip to Tennessee marked the beginning of an uncertain and frightening chapter.

"I remember us going to St. Jude and going through all of the stuff," Polston said. "They kept us for three years, and that was the longest three years I ever spent."

Polston still remembers flying out of Shreveport with her son and being met by hospital staff upon arrival.

"They took us right into St. Jude," she said.

Treatment options for pediatric brain tumors were far different in the late 1960s than they are today. Families often traveled long distances for specialized care, and many were separated for extended periods while children underwent treatment.

"It separated a lot of families," McEachern said. "One parent being with the child."

The trips between Shreveport and Memphis were long and difficult. McEachern remembers his grandparents helping the family purchase a car and modifying it so he could lie down comfortably after painful medical procedures.

Yet through years of treatment, his mother never left his side.

"I was very strong because of her and the good Lord," he said.

Today, he sees the results of those efforts every time he returns to the hospital.

During a recent survivor study visit, McEachern met a young patient facing circumstances similar to those he experienced nearly six decades ago.

"It reminded me of myself," he said. "That was me back in 1967."

The encounter highlighted how much has changed for families. Modern patients often have access to regional affiliate clinics closer to home, reducing the burden of repeated long-distance travel. Housing programs also allow families to remain together during treatment.

"That's a blessing for a lot of parents," McEachern said.

As one of St. Jude's long-term survivors, McEachern receives commemorative pins marking milestones in his journey. One of his most treasured recognizes 50 years of survivorship.

The hospital also sends annual ornaments that have become part of his family's Christmas traditions.

For McEachern, those reminders represent more than personal milestones. They symbolize the impact of decades of research funded through donations and community support.

"The money brought in so much research," he said.

Now, as KTBS 3 continues its partnership with the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, McEachern hopes his story serves as a reminder of what those donations can accomplish.

A frightened 2-year-old boy who arrived at St. Jude in 1967 is now a husband, father and survivor whose life spans nearly six decades beyond a diagnosis that once carried far fewer treatment options.

"Thank you for your money and your donations," McEachern said. "Be sure and buy a ticket for the Dream Home."

For his family, St. Jude was more than a hospital.

"Once our child is diagnosed with any kind of cancer, that's our home until they get home," McEachern said.