St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas. Following years of planning, presentations, fundraisers and with the support of a team of Memphis-area businessmen, St. Jude opened in 1962.
St. Jude is the premier research center devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children. Discoveries made at St. Jude have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today’s most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.
About 5,700 active patients are seen at St. Jude yearly, most of whom are treated on a continuing outpatient basis as part of ongoing research programs. The hospital also has 78 beds for patients requiring hospitalization during treatment. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world.
All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family’s ability to pay.
St. Jude is supported primarily by donations raised by its national fundraising organization, ALSAC, which was established by Danny Thomas expressly for the purpose of funding St. Jude. In its 20-year history, the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has raised more than $175 million for St. Jude. In 2009, there were 25 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaways, including Sam Bradley’s beautiful home in Springfield, MO.
For more information, visit www.stjude.org
increased survival rates for blood cancers and other devastating disorders— all possible because of one man’s dream and tireless commitment to helping make St. Jude a reality.
St. Jude provides services to all patients regardless of the family’s abilities to pay for their treatments. Yet the costs are staggering. Danny Thomas also foresaw the need for ongoing St. Jude funding, and established a non-profit organization to oversee fundraising activities. One of those efforts is the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, in which a new home is built, raffle tickets are sold, and the home awarded to one lucky raffle ticket holder.
Ultimately we all want to make a difference in others’ lives and make the world a little better place to live. That’s exactly what St. Jude Research Hospital, a new home in Springfield, Missouri, and homebuilder Sam Bradley did.
Founded over 50 years ago by entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude Research hospital is at the forefront of treating children with catastrophic illnesses. During such a frightening time, St. Jude offers the children and their families advanced medical care and hope. In addition, St. Jude is home to some of the most talented research scientists in the world. Their discoveries have dramatically
including distinctive ceiling treatments and arches added between the great room and kitchen/dining area. A large flat panel TV in the great room was recessed into the wall, along with the controls, DVD, etc., being located around the corner. The result was a wonderful media center, a clean, flush appearance with no wires or mounting hardware in sight, and no need to decorate around the electronics. Entertaining spilled over to outdoor living spaces as well, with a covered porch extending from the back of the great room and a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen.
Storage in the Dream Home, another element of a home’s livability, was both plentiful and innovative. There was plenty of storage space in the oversized garage, as well as in the rear foyer entry from the garage. The laundry room was enlarged to line up even with the right side of the garage and storage cabinets were added. The home’s walk-in pantry was a joy to behold, and the pantry door doubled as a chalkboard to enhance family communications. The
LEFT: Furniture grade cabinets graced the master bathroom.
BELOW: A stylish kitchen that’s the command center of this home.
Expenses are kept low through donations and deep discounts, and the builder agrees to take zero profit from the home—all to maximize raffle ticket proceeds for St. Jude after costs are paid.
GETTING INVOLVED. Once he was selected to build the 2009 St. Jude Dream Home, which was also featured in the Springfield Parade of Homes, Sam Bradley concentrated on another way to increase St. Jude revenues—creating a remarkable home that would generate higher ticket sales. Sam decided to build the Springfield area’s first woman-centric home, based on Design Basics ‘Palmer’ home plan (as originally featured in the summer 2008 issue of Her Home.)
Design Basics research had identified the 4 main aspects of a home’s ‘livability’, and Bradley set out to maximize each one. When it came to entertaining, the Palmer design was already an open layout. People touring the home were wowed by Bradley’s added touches
“People have a propensity to want to be involved in something bigger than themselves, and I was no different when the opportunity to be involved with the St. Jude Dream Home, came my way. It was an honor to build the home and a heartfelt experience that I will never forget.”
At the initial interview I presented a Woman-Centric floor plan as part of my “package” to the selection committee (comprised of four women and four men). Every time a man would suggest changing something in the plan, one of the women would speak up and say, “That’s my favorite part of the home and you are not going to change it.” The ladies prevailed.
We named the home the “Abby” after a little girl who was born with a brain tumor and treated at St. Jude Research Hospital. On ground breaking day the media tried to get Abby to pose with her dad for a picture. Instead, Abby chose to sit down on her dad’s shovel, which was the perfect pose.
One of my biggest surprises in building the St. Jude Dream Home was the generosity of my local trade contractors and suppliers at a time when the building industry was in a recession. Most went above and beyond what I requested from them. Several either knew someone or had family members who were treated at St. Jude Research Hospital.
space to suit the owner’s preferences. The second floor was also expanded to include a sitting area that could easily double as a kids’ study space or game area. And depending on the owners’ needs, bedroom number 2 could easily be adapted for a den or home office.
On Sunday, June 28th, Kevin & Patricia Sutton, from Nixa, MO, won the St. Jude Dream Home and according to St. Jude representatives, over $500,000 was raised for St. Jude’s life saving work. All because a few people dared to dream big dreams. Builder Sam Bradley was passionate about helping kids and getting the community involved. He even thought of a floor-signing party during the construction of the home for children who have been afflicted by such serious illnesses. According to Sam, “My favorite part of the build was the floor signing party. Prior to installing the carpet we invited local families with children that have been treated at St. Jude to come to the home and sign the floor (the children actually drew pictures) as a way of celebrating their life. I had thought the evening would be all about the kids, but as the families arrived you could see the bonding that was taking place between the parents, knowing that the struggles and uncertainties they faced were a common thread among this group.”
In September, Sam Bradley was named 2009 Builder Of The Year by the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield.
RIGHT: The vessel sink was a “hit” in the home’s hall bath
BELOW: Attention to detail was evident throughout – as seen in the arched exhaust hood centered over a lovely ceramic inlay.
master suite was reversed, with the bedroom located along the stairway, allowing for a larger walk-in closet which featured an adjustable organization system that increased the useable storage. From the spacious bath vanities to the kitchen cabinets, the Dream Home proved storage can be beautiful. Even the secondary bedroom closets were spacious and linen closets accommodating.
Our homes are our havens, sanctuaries from the pace and demands of life. Therefore, de-stressing areas in the Dream home were a primary focus. A range of choices from soothing to invigorating was offered in the master bathroom’s oversized spa shower. A coffee bar was added in the master bath, complete with in-wall coffee maker to eliminate clutter and electrical cords. Just off the kitchen, a lovely covered porch was screened in – making it a perfect place to unwind, enjoy Mother Nature’s serenade, or even steal a summertime nap. Still, few amenities caused as much of a stir as the rear foyer. A recharging station for cell phones, laptops and iPods was shown in the drop zone. There were mail slots for sorting mail and even a paper shredder on a pull-out drawer in the drop zone’s base cabinet for the junk mail! Lockers added in the rear foyer promised to eliminate “Mom, have you seen my…” from the morning rush to get everyone out the door on time in the morning with everything.
Flexible living spaces that offer multiple uses are another hallmark of woman-centric homes and the flex room in the St. Jude Dream Home offered the ability to tailor that !
