Receiving treatment for cancer is enough to scare anyone — except for 7-year-old Slade.

The young man is an amateur-level zoologist, able to identify boas, pythons, rattlesnakes, lizards and more. He's also currently undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Slade was traveling with his family over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2012 when he developed an earache and fever. A visit to a clinic turned into a referral to St. Jude, and the following day he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

Since then Slade has battled his cancer into remission, with another year to go of both treatments at home and regular visits to St. Jude. The courageous young man has stayed strong in the face of adversity, helped by the compassionate care and family atmosphere at the groundbreaking facility.

“I am so proud of the way he has handled himself through all of this,” his mom says. “How can a child go into a procedure with all those nurses and doctors around him and not be scared? But he never is. I will always be indebted to St. Jude. They are saving my child's life.”

That kind of important work is why Taste of Country has joined with 16 Townsquare Media-owned radio stations for a two-day radiothon on March 5-6. St. Jude's mission is that no family ever has to pay for treatment, food or lodging while their child is receiving care at the facility, so they can focus entirely on their needs. They rely on the support of individual donors to continue their extraordinary work. Take a look at the video above, and see a living example of why it's so important to become a Partner in Hope.

Your money will be going to help make miracles for families just like Slade's.

“I always knew about St. Jude, but never thought I would have a need for it,” his mom reflects. “And what a true blessing. It's the most amazing place in the world!”

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