Oxford, Miss. – The city’s inaugural St. Jude Dream Home is gaining a personal touch from a local survivor. Bayleigh Caldwell Buskirk, a designer and former St. Jude patient, is creating the guest bedroom on the second floor of the 2,700‑square‑foot home.
From Diagnosis to Design
Buskirk was diagnosed with classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma, stage III, on December 22, 2024, just weeks after beginning her first job at Something Southern on the Oxford Square. At 23, she was accepted into St. Jude’s program within 24 hours and began treatment. While she initially believed St. Jude only served patients up to age 18, she learned the age cutoff is actually 25.
During her treatment, St. Jude covered all housing, food and medical costs, and provided a comprehensive care team that included a social worker, psychologist and numerous specialists. “Any issue I had … they had a solution,” Buskirk recalled.
Designing the Guest Bedroom
Now a recent graduate and newly married, Buskirk is applying her design expertise to the Dream Home project. The guest bedroom will feature light‑blue drapes, Euro‑style pillows, a colorful bolster and a coverlet, all built around three colors—blue, green and purple—that represent Hodgkin’s lymphoma awareness. The purple ribbon, a symbol of St. Jude’s mission, will be woven throughout the décor.
“I’m excited to see my room play out. I have incorporated my awareness ribbon colors — which is purple — into the design,” Buskirk said. She added, “I’m glad that I can play such a small role in such a large project.”
Community Support
Something Southern store manager Phyllis Smith praised the collaboration, noting the store’s enthusiasm for the project. “It’s the guest bedroom downstairs. Yes. And so, Bayleigh is going to put her special touch on that, using her St. Jude ribbon color and bringing her story to the bedroom,” Smith said.
The Dream Home, the first of its kind in Oxford, will serve families facing serious illness, offering a fully furnished, no‑cost residence during treatment. Fabric swatches from Buskirk’s design will become part of the permanent home, symbolizing hope and resilience for future families.
How to Support
Something Southern is contributing a $2,500 gift‑card as an Open House prize. Tickets for the Oxford St. Jude Dream Home giveaway are now available. Residents of Tennessee or Arkansas may call 1‑800‑537‑3464, while Mississippi residents can purchase tickets online at dreamhome.org.
The Dream Home project underscores the power of community, faith, and family in supporting those battling life‑threatening illnesses. As Buskirk’s story demonstrates, local talent and generosity can transform a house into a sanctuary of healing.
Original reporting: Action News 5 WMC (Gray) — read the source article.
