Corker Visits St. Jude Children;s Cancer Center of Lebanon

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today visited the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), a regional affiliate of Memphis-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH). CCCL opened its doors at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) on April 12, 2002. For 15 years, the CCCL has treated more than 1,330 children from Lebanon and across the Middle East.

"As a parent, there is nothing you want more for your child than good health and the opportunity to live life to its fullest, and that's certainly no different for families in the Middle East," said Corker. "It was inspiring to see the work the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon is doing to treat children with cancer, and we know that work would not be possible without our friends in Memphis. St. Jude has always been a source of great pride in our state and witnessing the hospital's global impact firsthand today was outstanding."

During the visit, Corker toured the CCCL outpatient facility, greeted children and their families, and learned about the facility's latest treatment protocols and close relationship with SJCRH.

The senator's visit to CCCL comes during a visit to the Middle East to assess progress in the fight against ISIS and efforts to strengthen regional stability. As part of his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he is meeting with U.S. and foreign officials in the region to discuss a broad range of shared interests, including security, humanitarian, political, and economic issues. On Monday in Iraq, he met with a number of U.S. soldiers from Tennessee. Additional photos of Corker's trip to the region are available here, here, and here.

About the CCCL: The Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) is a regional reference center pioneering the treatment of children with cancer at no cost to their parents. The CCCL is affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and operates in association with the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). The average cure rate at the CCCL reaches 80%. All children are treated free of charge and without any form of discrimination. CCCL relies only on donations, with a current yearly need of 15 million USD. Since April 2002, the CCCL has treated more than 1,330 children with cancer and offered around 4,000 medical consultations to patients from all over Lebanon and the region. The CCCL is the reference pediatric cancer treatment center to more than 76 centers in Lebanon and 22 countries in the Middle East. The CCCL currently has around 300 patients under treatment.

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