30 Years of Hope: Celebrating the Legacy of the Jimmy Everest Center
Thirty years ago, the vision to build a place where children with cancer and blood disorders would receive compassionate and expert medical care in Oklahoma became a reality.
The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children has grown into one of the region’s most trusted programs for pediatric hematology and oncology. Today, we honor its legacy, celebrate its milestones, and invite you to join us in shaping its future.
The Beginning
The center was named in honor of the late James “Jimmy” Everest. Jimmy, the son of Jim and Christy Everest, lost his life in 1992 at age 17 to Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
At that time, the landscape of pediatric cancer care in Oklahoma was entirely different. Families often had to travel out of state for specialized treatment. Access to advanced therapies, clinical trials, and long-term survivorship support was limited, especially for children in rural communities.
The Everest family conceived a vision: to ensure no child would have to leave home for cancer treatment.
When the Jimmy Everest Center opened its doors in 1995, it brought together expert physicians, nurses, social workers, and researchers under one roof to care for the whole child and support their families. It didn’t take long for word to spread. Children came not only from across Oklahoma but also from surrounding states, drawn by the center’s reputation for excellence and compassion.
From the beginning, progress was achieved through close collaboration between families and care teams, doctors and researchers, and communities working together to support better care for children.
Growth and Evolution
Over the past three decades, the Jimmy Everest Center has grown from a small clinic into a cornerstone of OU Health’s pediatric programs and a beacon of hope for children across the region.
Today, the center cares for hundreds of children newly diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders each year. It is now part of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health and is fully integrated with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. This partnership fuels its mission through academic excellence, research, and innovation.
As the center grew, so did its ability to provide world-class care. From early-phase clinical trials to immunotherapy and advanced genetic testing, pediatric patients now have access to the same treatments offered at major cancer centers nationwide — without ever leaving Oklahoma.
But technology has never replaced humanity. From the art on the walls to the music in the halls, every detail of the center is designed to let kids be kids, especially during treatment. Families often speak of the relationships they form at the center — how nurses remember birthdays, how doctors sit down on the floor to talk to toddlers, how social workers guide them through every step of the journey. From the moment a family walks through the doors, they receive the care and support they desperately need through their difficult time.
One critical advancement was the implementation of comprehensive survivorship care. Thanks to improved treatments, more children are beating cancer than ever. The center’s long-term follow-up program ensures these survivors continue to thrive, with support for everything from late effects to college transitions.
Impact by the Numbers
- 30 years of caring for people with pediatric cancer and blood disorder care
- Over 10,000 children treated since opening
- 90% survival rate for common pediatric cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- Participation in more than 70 clinical trials to date
- One of the only centers in the region offering pediatric stem cell transplant services
- Caring for children from all 77 Oklahoma counties
Behind every number is a name. The name of a child who fought bravely, a parent who didn’t give up, and a compassionate care team that stood by their side.
The Team
The heart of the Jimmy Everest Center isn’t just the medicine — it’s the people.
Led by a multidisciplinary team of board-certified pediatric hematologists and oncologists, the center also includes specialized nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, child life specialists, genetic counselors, and social workers who bring expertise and heart to every encounter.
Together, they don’t just treat cancer; they care for the whole child. That includes managing the side effects of chemotherapy, supporting emotional well-being, providing nutrition counseling, and offering educational guidance so children can stay on track with their schooling.
Training the next generation is also an essential part of the mission. As part of Oklahoma’s only academic health system, the center educates medical students, residents, and fellows who will go on to lead the future of pediatric cancer care across the country.
Research and Innovation
As a proud member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the largest pediatric cancer research organization in the world, the Jimmy Everest Center gives Oklahoma families access to groundbreaking clinical trials and emerging therapies close to home.
The center’s partnership with OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center has unlocked even greater research capabilities, including precision medicine studies and genomic profiling to better understand each child’s unique cancer and how to treat it.
From bench to bedside, research is embedded into the DNA of the center, and it’s saving some of the youngest lives in Oklahoma.
The Road Ahead
The mission of Jimmy Everest Center remains clear: No child should have to fight alone, and no family should have to choose between expert care and staying close to home. This guiding principle fuels every effort at the center, and it isn’t possible without community support.
To honor this mission and mark the Jimmy Everest Center’s 30th anniversary, charitable community giving will support several transformative initiatives, including:
- Upgrading infusion and inpatient facilities
- Expanding access to clinical trials and research
- Increasing outreach to underserved and rural communities
- Funding child life and psychosocial programs that make treatment easier for families
- Supporting survivorship services to help kids thrive long after treatment ends
Jimmy Everest Center’s 30th Anniversary
Celebrating 30 years of hope and healing, the Jimmy Everest Center stands at the forefront of pediatric cancer care in Oklahoma. Your support does more than treat illness; it fuels groundbreaking research, provides comfort to families, and ensures every child receives the most advanced, compassionate care possible. Every gift brings us closer to a future where no child faces cancer alone.
By supporting the Jimmy Everest Center, you help extend the center’s reach, advance lifesaving treatments, and inspire hope in children and families across Oklahoma and beyond. Join us in shaping a brighter tomorrow for pediatric cancer care.
Learn more about the Jimmy Everest Center or donate today to make a lasting impact on the lives of children fighting cancer.
