Mom continues fight for St. Jude 10 years later

Tammy Ummel's daughter Meghan died of a brain tumor in 2002. (Photo by WJBC/Eric Stock)

BLOOMINGTON – It’s been 10 years since Tammy Ummel of El Paso said goodbye to her daughter Meghan.

Meghan lost her battle with a malignant brain tumor in 2002, nine months to the day she was diagnosed.

That didn’t stop Tammy Ummel from becoming a vocal advocate for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where her daughter received treatment. In fact, a decade later, she’s still urging people to give to the hospital so that it can continue to provide no charge care for families and work to find cures for childhood cancers.

“To sit in a room and have a doctor tell you, even with treatment, her (daughter’s) best hope was 10 months,” Ummel said. “No parent should have to hear that.”

Ummel said she appreciated that St. Jude doctors included her 13-year-old daughter in the discussions and the difficult decisions regarding her treatment.

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened in Memphis in 1962. (Photo used under Creative Commons from Flickr user ginnerobot)

“There were times she had a choice whether she does a chemo at first and then radiation, which would have meant another two months in Memphis away from friends and family and she said ‘I don’t want to be gone that long,” Ummel said.

Ummel said she remains hopeful that continued donations to St. Jude will one day lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of the kind of brain tumor that took her daughter.

“It’s pocket change, but it changes the world,” Ummel said.

The WJBC/St. Jude Radiothon continues Friday. You can help by becoming a Partner in Hope by calling 1-800-374-4995 or donating online at WJBC.com.

Click here to listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Ummel.

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Eric Stock can be reached at eric@wjbc.com.