The St. Jude Story

Jim and Trudy Maloof St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois

Jim Maloof, a prominent Peoria businessman, was invited to a fundraising event in Chicago where Danny Thomas was speaking to raise funds for a children’s research hospital. Maloof, who later became the mayor of Peoria, became fast friends with Thomas and shared his vision to eradicate childhood cancer. Maloof began fundraising in the Peoria area, proving to Thomas that Peoria could financially support an affiliate of  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. After an incredibly successful fundraising campaign, the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic in Peoria was opened in 1972 just 10 years after St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened its doors in Memphis. It was the first domestic affiliate for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The St. Jude Affiliate Clinic is located on the campus of OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. The clinic offers full-time coverage by a team of pediatric hematologist/oncologists and a dedicated nursing staff. In addition, the clinic provides child life and support services for patients and families. Through the cooperative efforts of OSF Children’s Hospital, the treatment team at the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic provides optimal care, assuring that children receive the help they need to fight their illnesses. In many cases, the intensive therapy needed to successfully treat a child is received right here at home in Peoria.

St. Jude Patient Handbook