FedEx plane named for 7-year-old St. Jude patient

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A St. Jude patient received a special honor ahead of the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Classic.

For the 11th time, FedEx and St. Jude chose a St. Jude child to name a Cessna Caravan aircraft after.

This year’s Purple Eagle honoree is 7-year-old Olivia.

Olivia was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis before she was even a year old.

In October 2021, her family moved to Memphis for her dad’s new job at FedEx. Shortly after, she began having seizures. Tests revealed a tumor on her optic nerve, which brought Olivia to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It’s been a great honor,” Olivia’s dad Roman Shulov said. “Everybody’s been wonderful at St. Jude and FedEx. It’s just been an amazing experience and maybe Olivia doesn’t understand yet, but she will get to experience it when she looks back at the pictures and things like that.”

Olivia’s plane will sport her name under the St. Jude logo for the duration of the plane’s service.

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