Danny Thomas

(http://www.google.com/imgres?q=danny+thomas&hl=en& ())

Saving millions of lives since 1962 and increasing the hope for survival, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has been a light to many coping with disease. Before St. Jude's became a reality, that light of hope sparked inside a certain Hollywood actor and comedian, Danny Thomas. Originally born as Muzyad Yakhoob in 1912 then later Christianized to Amos Jacobs, Danny Thomas lived as a poor, impoverished Lebanese boy in Deerfield, Michigan. While working at a burlesque theater, he found his calling in comedy. Once Thomas decided to pursue a career in entertainment, he found it did not initially provide as stable an income as he would have hoped. So, one night, as hope of stardom and the ability to pay the bills was slowly slipping away from his grasp, he prayed to one of the twelve apostles, St. Jude, to ask whether he should continue on his current path and promised to build him a shrine if he helped him to find his way in life. Shortly after that evening, he left his pregnant wife to journey to Chicago, where two jobs presented themselves in less than a day. It took many years for Thomas to keep up his end of the deal to St. Jude Thaddeus, but when he did, it resulted in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 1985, Congress awarded Thomas the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor for his work on behalf of St. Jude's, a medal which is reserved for special individuals who are deemed commendable heroes. A hero, by definition, possesses quality traits that help others, or serve as an inspiration to many diverse types of people. On a dark, cold night with pockets devoid of cash, Danny Thomas made a promise and a prayer to St. Jude; the answer to that prayer resulted in Hollywood fame and revealed his selfless character, in his ability to think of others before himself; perseverance, for never giving up; and philanthropic kindness, using his blessings to pour down on others, leading to an institution that now saves countless numbers of lives.

One of the prominent reasons Danny Thomas is a hero is his selfless character which helped lead to his greatest contribution to society. One of the ways that he exemplifies his selfless character is through his outlook on what St. Jude does on a daily basis. "Though I have made millions of people laugh in my role as entertainer, saving the life of even one child, is just that much more important" (Thomas 69). This quote demonstrates selflessness because he truly cared about the hospital and the patients it nursed as much as his career. His struggle to get all of the laughs he has earned, in his perspective, was part of the journey towards the creation of the hospital. People knew him to "Never... stand back and let others do the work[.] Danny gave of himself wholeheartedly in the effort to realize his talents, time and money" ("Danny Thomas Story"). Thomas constantly hosted benefits to raise money and spent time with the young patients to help brighten their day. This representation of his selflessness shows how others viewed him as a hardworking, altruistic man, willing to give nearly all of himself to his cause. He took charge of  helping others in the face of death by working diligently to advance the hospital and its research, becoming the embodiment of St. Jude himself by bringing hope to the hopeless. It is this faithful selflessness that has rescued countless endangered lives that makes Danny Thomas an extraordinary hero.

Thomas with a St. Jude patient. (http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid ())

Another measurable value that proves him to be a hero is his undying perseverance. An exemplification of this trait was his "never give up" attitude for finding work in order for him, his wife, and child to survive. "I had to get money somewhere. I was working at night at the Ambassador Club for thirty-five dollars a week...which gave me time to look for work in the daylight hours. Radio drama was very big back then, so I auditioned for every radio producer in town. I picked up work here and there" (Thomas 67). His perseverance is exposed through this because he kept trying to look for new work even after facing rejection so often and hitting a rough streak. It also exposes how hard he worked to support his family and put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Another way he used to show his perseverance was through his compulsion towards always trying to improve St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "For the past six years Thomas' obsession has been matched by that of Dr. Alvin Mauer, the hospital's medical director, with spectacularly encouraging results" (Sanderson). This quote shows Danny Thomas' perseverance because others see and applaud his dedication with St. Jude's. His efforts to make the hospital grow and thrive resulted in an establishment that has blessed the local and medical community. Most heroes suffer through many trials and tribulations and practice perseverance to get back up and keep trying; Danny Thomas represents this trait and the benefits that it reaps.

                Lastly, Danny Thomas is a hero because of his philanthropic goodness that has helped to restore many children's lives. An example of this is what St. Jude's would evolve into. "The shrine would be a hospital for needy children, a place where they would be cared for regardless of race, religion or ability to pay - a hospital where no suffering child would be turned away" ("Danny Thomas Story"). This displays Thomas' philanthropy because it states how the hospital he founded would help any needy, diseased child and would cover all fees. St. Jude's is the very definition of philanthropic kindness, showing love and assistance to any child suffering from a life-threatening disease. Thomas'dedication to the St. Jude's program is evident in this quote: "In the meantime, my comedy career goes on--especially as I use it to help keep money coming in for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Every day brings new excitement for me as I learn more and more about St. Jude accomplishments" (Thomas 313). He consistently donated portions of his salary regularly to help fund the studies and treatments at St. Jude's. The hospital still, to this day, does not refuse any patient due to financial, racial, or religious reasons, and continues to assist the medical community. Danny Thomas' philanthropic character created an institution that has changed the world by becoming a beacon of hope to needy children and their families.

(http://www.google.com/imgres?q=st+judes+childrens+ ())

Danny Thomas is genuinely a deserving hero because of his ability to reach out to others through his selfless character, perseverance, and philanthropic kindness. His selfless ideals helped the hospital to come into existence and flourish, by honoring the patients and throwing all of himself into his work. Thomas's unwavering perseverance aided him in his life's journey while looking for extra jobs to care for his family and in ceaselessly trying to improve St. Jude's. St. Jude's was founded as an institution that would operate on donations and government grants as a display of his philanthropic kindness so that patients would not be responsible for paying for their treatment. Danny Thomas is a source of inspiration to me because of his numerous accomplishments through St. Jude's. An amazing example of its success includes that: "...St. Jude...has raised the survival rate for lymphocytic leukemia from near zero to 44 percent...'We're more than pleased,' Thomas exults. 'We're flabbergasted. Our progress is being disseminated all over the earth'" (Sanderson). The efforts made at St. Jude's have spread worldwide so that children everywhere have a chance at survival. His pledge that St. Jude's would be available to any child, regardless of financial ability, illuminates another reason why he is an inspiration to me. A true hero is a person whom we respect and who inspires us to achieve the best for ourselves and society as much as we possibly can. Danny Thomas is a laudable hero who created a place where diseased children can find hope. His contribution to the global community continues to thrive after his death, saving numerous lives, deeming him a person worthy of the title hero.