Young Louisville cheerleader beats brain cancer thanks to St. Jude Children's Hospital

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A Louisville family donated for years to St. Jude Children’s hospital. They never thought they'd be on the other side of those donations until one day they were.

Ashtyn Johnson had been flipping and tumbling her way through life from a young age. Then came April of 2018 when her whole world turned upside down.

“Ashtyn had been having these episodes of kind of random headaches and random vomiting,” said her mom Brittney Richardson.

Ashtyn Johnson and family — Ashtyn Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was five-years-old.

Five-year-old Ashtyn had her eyes checked and the Optometrist found swelling behind them. She was taken straight to the ER.

“Not long after that they came in to tell us there was a tumor and they were going to admit Ashtyn to the hospital,” Brittney Richardson said.

Two days later she had her first brain surgery at Norton Children’s Hospital.

“It was a type of cancer they couldn’t treat here,” Brittney Richardson said.

A few weeks after that initial surgery, they went to St. Jude in Memphis. The children's cancer hospital is named after the patron saint of hopeless causes.

“When you think of brain cancer, you think -- that's the end,” said Kiara Richardson, Ashtyn’s mom.

For years St. Jude has been giving hope to families and children in the fight of their lives when all might seem hopeless.

“I was scared and nervous because I thought something was going to happen,” Ashtyn Johnson said.

Thirty rounds of radiation and four rounds of chemo later, Ashtyn beat cancer and has been in remission for five years.

Her family said St. Jude was a place like no other.

“We didn't have to worry about anything. They made sure we got there safely. They made sure we got checked in, they made sure we had somewhere to stay, things to eat, things for Ashtyn to do. They surrounded us with support not only financial but mental health support and physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, all the things Ashtyn would need and they had it figured out and there wasn't anything we had to think about,” Brittney Richardson said.

St. Jude gave this family hope but never a bill. Donations allow families not to worry about a single thing, other than being present for their child.

“That place is literally unlike any place I've been to,” Brittney Richardson said. “The amount of weight that lifts off people, you can’t really explain what that's like."

Ashtyn is back at school getting good grades, has tons of friends, and cheer is life. The flips in her life still require courage as a competitive cheerleader.

“It's scary,” Ashtyn said. “But I feel excited I get to do it.”

Her family is forever grateful to the hospital that gave their little girl back her life.

“I’m just glad that Ashtyn’s still here. That’s the most important part,” Brittney Richardson said.

Ashtyn johnson cheerleader — Ashtyn Johnson tumbling through life.

You can help make sure sick children and their families never pay a dime at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

WDRB's Annual Dream Home Giveaway is happening right now. You can purchase a raffle ticket for $100 for a 480,000 square foot home in La Grange. The money helps supports kids fighting cancer.

Next weekend you can get a chance to see the home for yourself. An open house will run Saturday, August 24 through Sunday, September 22.

The drawing for the dream home is October 3. For more information, click here.

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