Christine Gravez and her daughter Isabel are helping to raise money for St. Jude after Christine's son Emilio lost his battle with neuroblastoma. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC)

By Eric Stock 

BLOOMINGTON – Radio Bloomington's annual St. Jude Radiothon is underway. 

All the money raised during the two-day event benefits St. Jude operations in the Midwest, including its regional affiliate at Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.

Former Illinois State football coach Denver Johnson has been an advocate for St. Jude ever since his daughter Kelsey was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4. Johnson told WJBC's Scott Laughlin Kelsey was given a 50-50 chance of survival. 

"That's not including long-term survival," Johnson said. "Thank God we were at St. Jude because those folds are really the best in the world at managing these kind of situations."

Kelsey is now a nurse working in Memphis her goal is to work for St. Jude at its headquarters there. Denver and his wife Danita have another daughter who works for St. Jude in Oklahoma City. 

The Johnsons live in Tulsa, where Denver was recently let go as an assistant football coach at the University of Tulsa. They co-chaired fundraising efforts in Bloomington-Normal when Johnson coached at ISU. 

"Danita and I have stayed committed and we are involved in many functions and fundraising efforts here in the state and the city and really the southwest," Johnson said.

Survival rates

Not all St. Jude stories have a happy ending, but even some families whose children lost their battles with cancer aren't giving up the fight to help others.

Christine Gravez of Normal told WJBC's Susan Saunders in the six years since her son Emilio died of stage 4 neuroblastoma at age 4, the survival rate for that disease has doubled from 30 to 60 percent. 

"That's why we continue to fight so parents don't have to receive the news 'there's nothing more that can be done," Chavez said. 

Gravez said she's honoring her son's memory by helping to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital during the Radio Bloomington St. Jude Radiothon. 

St. Jude is seeking Partners in Hope who give $20 per month. Some of the funds stay in Central Illinois to benefit St. Jude's Midwest affiliate in Peoria, Children's Hospital of Illinois. 

The number to make a donation is 1-800-374-4995. You can donate online here. 

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].