Sister carries on her brother’s dream after his cancer battle

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Skye Denton grew up knowing St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a constant in her life.

Her older brother, Austin, was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord tumor at age 2, and the family regularly traveled from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Memphis hospital as he underwent years of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgeries.

“I was born into a world where St. Jude and cancer and going through treatment and checkups was just the norm,” Skye said.

A brother who became an inspiration

Despite his diagnosis, Austin was known for his love of sports and his dream of becoming a sports journalist. Through a partnership between St. Jude and CBS, he worked as a special correspondent — interviewing athletes including Peyton Manning.

“My resume includes interviewing Peyton Manning,” Austin said in a video produced during that time. “Both of us believe it’s not where you’ve been, but where you are headed.”

He was 15 years old in that video. Austin was later accepted into Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The cancer came back in 2019. Austin died at 18 years old, before he had the chance to attend college.

“Austin was just a light, is how I can describe him,” Skye said. “He just had so much ... He was so selfless and so happy all the time. You would have never known how much he had gone through at such a young age.”

Skye said the family was with Austin when he died.

“It was just me and my parents at his bed when he passed,” she said. “I promised him that I would talk to him every day and keep him updated on my life.”

Carrying his dream forward

Skye enrolled at ASU’s Cronkite School of Journalism, in part, she said, to fulfill her brother’s dream.

“St. Jude gave us 18 beautiful years with Austin,” she said. “He lived such a full life in 18 years. And I think that’s why we will forever be grateful for St. Jude, even though he’s not here anymore.”

Throughout Austin’s treatment, the family never received a bill. St. Jude covers the cost of treatment, housing, travel and food for all of its patients.

Skye said she still feels the weight of losing her brother every day.

“I miss his voice,” she said. “His voice impacted our community in New Mexico, but impacted the country. We had people reaching out after he passed, who we had no idea who they were.”

The lifesaving work of St. Jude is made possible through generous donations and fundraisers like the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.

You can reserve your ticket for the 2026 Arizona St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway starting on Feb. 25. Reserve fast; the tickets are expected to go quickly. The home will be given away live on Good Morning Arizona on May 6.

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