LA GRANGE, Ky. (WDRB) – With giant scissors in hand and a red bow tied across the front of the newest St. Jude Dream home in La Grange, Hayli Nobles attempted to cut the ribbon. It didn’t work on the first try, but with cheers and smiles a second attempt proved successful.

As with this ribbon cutting, and in life, not everything goes according to plan.

That was the case for Hayli Nobles at the very start of her life.

“She just started walking and we noticed when she stopped walking that she was in pain. We just really didn't know what was going on,” said Hayli’s dad Mike Nobles.

“I was 11 months when I got diagnosed with AML which is acute myeloid leukemia,” Hayli recalled.

She went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis for treatment. Then when she was two-years-old, she relapsed. So back to St. Jude they went, where Hayli received a bone marrow transplant.

“Ever since then, I've been cancer free,” Hayli said.

“It's a magical place and what we've always said is -- it's the best, worst place to be,” Mike Nobles said.

Hayli is now 14 and a freshman in high school.

“It's just really a blessing that I get to be here and I can do what I love. I cheer, I get to go to school and all that. And it's just really awesome to think that I overcame that and a lot of people don’t get a second chance at life like that,” she said.

Hayli has that second chance at life because of fundraising efforts like the St. Jude Dream Home giveaway.

“With all of these dream homes we’ve been doing, we’ve been able to see new breakthroughs come from St. Jude research and we share all of our research freely. So for every life we’re able to save, we can save thousands of more kids around the world," said St. Jude Advisor Ventara Massey.

The St. Jude Dream Home in La Grange is 2,900 square feet. When you walk through the front door it has a sitting room, an office, cozy living room, kitchen, loft, 2.5 bathrooms, and 4 bedrooms.

The money raised from this home raffle helps St. Jude pay for literally everything for patients. Because families with sick kids have bigger problems than bills.

“Make sure that your child is number one priority,” Mike Nobles recalled of his time at St. Jude.

While it's called a dream home, the real dream is helping kids fight for their lives, so they can live out their dreams.

“You just have to stay strong and if you have a man upstairs that you pray to, pray to him,” Mike Nobles said.

And after everything St. Jude did for Hayli, her family is now paying it forward.

“They saved Hayli and we'll give until the day we can’t give anymore,” said Mike Nobles.

You can tour the St. Jude Dream Home in La Grange for free every weekend through Sept. 22. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays are noon to 5 p.m.

Raffle ticket are $100.

Click here for more details.

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