The Danny Thomas Story – The Character Network

It was four o’clock in the morning, and Amos Jacobs was fast asleep. Suddenly, there came a scream from the front room where Amos’ baby brother had just been bitten by a sewer rat. In those days, a rat bite almost certainly meant death. That’s when Mrs. Jacobs promised in her heart that if her baby would just live, she would spend a whole year begging for pennies to give to poor people. Well, the baby did recover, and Mrs. Jacobs, who was very poor herself did raise money for other people who desperately needed it. She always followed through on what she promised.

When Amos grew up, he wanted to make a career in show business because he could be a very funny man. But times were very hard for him in the beginning. It looked like he might not make it, and he didn’t have any money. Then, remembering his mother’s example, he decided to make a promise, too. He promised that if he became a successful entertainer, he would use his money and his influence to build a place where sick children could get better.

Well, as actors often do, Amos Jacobs changed his name. He became Danny Thomas, and eventually, he became a huge success. Soon, Danny Thomas knew it was time to make good on his promise, and in 1962, he created St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a place where now thousands and thousands of children have gone to get the best medical care around. And it was first made possible by one man who learned about keeping promises when he was just a child. That man was Danny Thomas, a very special HERO.

— Jim Lord