St. Jude's new Proton Therapy Center will allow doctors to provide targeted, high-dose radiation therapy while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

It will be the only proton therapy center devoted solely to children. This means better cancer treatments with fewer side effects and improved outcomes for children.

The new $198 million tower includes:

  • the most powerful and safest form of radiation treatment for children with cancer, built specifically for children
  • 3 new state-of-the-art surgical suites
  • 8 new full-size ICU rooms with adjacent parent rooms
  • a global education and collaboration center to foster brainstorming, enhance learning and speed knowledge sharing around the world
  • labs that will help analyze the genetic secrets of childhood cancer

It also includes some of St. Jude's signature touches, designed to make their young patients comfortable and to put the look of amazement on their faces. Aside from the tree house theme, inspired by co-sponsors Red Frog Events, the building also features an interactive staircase that includes a light system specially designed to convey sounds and melodies as the person's feet touch each step. In keeping with the theme, each step emits the sound of a frog filled rainforest. They can also be programmed for different sounds to keep the experience fresh and as exciting each time.

Here's my trip down...

More From 92.9 WTUG