Paula calls St. Jude the most wonderful place you never want to have to go to.

Her daughter Carson came to St. Jude when she was seven years old to be treated for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. The cancer metastasized to her lungs, and after 16 months Carson passed away.

Paula says it’s very hard to look for the blessings in the passing of a child. She finds those in the patient families she meets now in her job with ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. She’s honored to be with a family, wherever they are on their journey.

Paula says she’s grateful for the 16 months she and her family got to make memories with Carson. But she knows there’s work to be done to increase survival rates, both in the Unites States and in developing countries where sometimes only one in five children survive.