Ukrainian kids with cancer evacuated from Poland to St. Jude Children's Hospital

Four Ukrainian children, whose cancer treatments were interrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have been airlifted from Poland to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to continue their treatment, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday. Along with some immediate family members, the children — ages 9 months to 9 years — arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, just weeks after the invasion began. 

St. Jude is the first hospital in the U.S. to receive Ukrainian patients, the hospital said in a press release. The hospital said it will provide the children with cancer care and "trauma-informed psychosocial therapy," and is formulating a school curriculum for the children and their siblings. 

The State Department said it "supported airlift of these pediatric oncology patients and some of their immediate family members from Poland to Memphis International Airport, where they were met and transported to St. Jude," but did not offer more details about the role it played.