BATON ROUGE — The City of Baton Rouge will come together on October 4, 2025, for the annual St. Jude Walk/Run, a community event that raises money to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Participants will walk, run, or join virtually—all with one purpose: to help St. Jude continue its mission of curing and preventing catastrophic childhood diseases.
The event includs a 5K run, a kids’ dash, and family-friendly activities, but at the heart of it all are the children whose battles inspire the cause.
Super Berkley Walks with St. Jude
One of those children is three-year-old Berkley Dearman, lovingly known as “Super Berkley.”
Berkley has been fighting through HLH and DRESS syndrome with a courage far beyond her years. Just days before the event, her family faced yet another scare when she developed severe leg pain that made it hard for her to walk. An MRI revealed fluid buildup in her hip joint.
Her mother, Katie, shared the emotional moment when doctors drained the fluid:
“The BEST update ever!!!!!! NO infection. Draining the fluid from her hip joint gave her immediate relief! I can honestly say when Dr. Culotta came in and said ‘good news,’ we teared up! Not sure why this news affected us more than some of the news we’ve had at St. Jude, but mostly think because we have tasted ‘normal’ again, and knew we might be facing another setback that would strip it away. Ohhhhh BUT our God!!”
With her trademark resilience, Berkley is back on her feet, ready to join the St. Jude Walk and show the community why she’s earned the name Super Berkley.
To join Berkley and her family on this year’s walk, visit her team page.
MORE: “Our walking miracle” | Berkley heads home after 108 days
Breelynn’s Bravery
Another local fighter, toddler Breelynn Watts, also joined the Baton Rouge walk this year. Breelynn is undergoing treatment for retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer. She has just completed her fourth round of chemotherapy and now wears a prosthetic after doctors removed her left eye.
“Only TWO rounds left — we can see the finish line and it feels so, so good. Our warrior princess just keeps proving how strong and brave she is. We’re so proud of her and so grateful for everyone cheering her on every step of the way,” Breelynn’s family updated on her Facebook page just last week.
Diagnosed this year at only 19 months old, Breelynn has had a whirlwind journey so far. Her cancer was rated a Stage E, the most advanced, which is why doctors needed to remove the affected eye. Since removing the eye and starting chemotherapy, the little girl has gotten some positive news: after six rounds of chemo, she should be “cancer-free.”
Breelynn’s journey is difficult, but her spirit shines just as brightly as Berkley’s. Families like hers remind participants why the St. Jude Walk matters so deeply.
After her diagnosis in June, Breelynn’s family has made it their goal to ensure parents know the signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma, so that no other family has to go through what little Breelynn has faced. They’re encouraging families to get things checked out if anything seems abnormal in their children’s eyes.
“You could save their vision. You could save their eye completely. If we could have caught this early, yeah, she may have went through chemo, but she probably would still have her sight,” mom Katelyn Bain explained.
Signs of retinoblastoma to watch for:
- Glare or discoloration in eye
- A lazy eye
- Eye becoming darker
- Pupil staying dilated
Retinoblastoma can affect one or both eyes.
To join Breelynn and her family on this year’s walk, visit her team page.
Why We Walk
The Baton Rouge event is a part of a nationwide effort during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Across the country, thousands of walkers and runners are coming together with the same commitment: to ensure no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food at St. Jude.
The need is urgent. Each year in the U.S., at least 16,000 children and teens are diagnosed with cancer. One in five will not survive. St. Jude often takes on the toughest cases and leads the world in survival rates for some of the most aggressive forms of childhood cancer.
“Regardless of your pace or path, when you join the St. Jude Walk, you’re taking steps to cure childhood cancer,” organizers said.
For families like Berkley’s and Breelynn’s, those steps mean hope, healing, and the promise of brighter tomorrows.
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