My 17‑month‑old son, Jimmie Jr, suddenly lost the ability to walk.

Doctors found a neuroblastoma tumor wrapped around his spine and into his chest, and we were rushed by ambulance 6 hours from home to St. Jude in Memphis. We are a one‑income family with four other young children, including a nonverbal autistic 4‑year‑old, and we are struggling to keep up with bills, travel, and childcare while we fight for our baby’s life. Any gift, in any amount, and every share means the world to us.

My baby boy, Jimmie Jr, is just 17 months old. He is my youngest, my baby, and he has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer on and near his spine that wraps around to his chest.

On October 18, doctors found a mass on his spine after he suddenly stopped walking and stopped using the entire bottom half of his body. Just weeks before, he was running around like a normal toddler. One day, he could walk; the next, he couldn’t – and that’s how we learned something was terribly wrong.

We were transported by ambulance from home to St. Jude in Memphis, 6 hours away, so he could get the best possible care. I am here with him, and we had to leave our other four children – ages 13, 10, 4 (nonverbal autistic), and 3 – back home. We don’t have much of a village; it is really just us trying to get through this.

Jimmie has already been through more than most adults. To get to the tumor for a biopsy, doctors had to break one of his tiny vertebrae and replace it, and now he is stuck in a brace for weeks. He still cannot walk. His speech has regressed. He is exhausted and confused from being poked, pricked, and surrounded by new faces every day, far from his dad and siblings.

His first round of chemo made him violently sick, with days of vomiting and no appetite. In the middle of that, he caught Rotavirus and had diarrhea for days. His hemoglobin dropped so low that he needed a blood transfusion, and his platelets fell so much that he needed a platelet transfusion too. This is only the first round of chemo, and already his little body and mind are so tired.

We are a one‑income household, and my partner has already missed many days of work to care for our other children and manage everything back home. Between travel to Memphis, lodging, childcare, regular bills, and now holiday expenses coming up, we are overwhelmed. We are doing everything we can to stay focused on getting Jimmie through this and keeping life as stable as possible for his brothers and sisters.

That is why we created this LetsFund campaign.

We are asking for help with:

- Travel and lodging costs for trips to and from Memphis

- Childcare and support for our four other children at home

- Regular bills that still come due even while we are in the hospital

- Extra medical and household expenses, especially with the holidays approaching

- Lost income from time away from work while we care for Jimmie

Any donation – truly, any amount – will help relieve some of the financial pressure so we can focus on our baby’s treatment. If you cannot give, sharing this page and keeping us in your prayers is also a huge gift.

This journey is going to be long and hard for Jimmie and for our whole family. I am a broken mama trying to stay strong, advocate for my baby, and love my other babies from 6 hours away. No parent ever wants to hear the word “cancer” about their child.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading, for caring about Jimmie, and for anything you can do to help our family right now.

With love,

Briana White (Mom) and Jimmie Watkins (Dad)

Parents of Jimmie Jr, Jayden, Jurnee, Jaeleigh, and Jocelyn