Curing Childhood Cancer – One Cup at a Time

Curing Childhood Cancer – One Cup at a Time

written by trish adkins | photos provided by trish adkins

A young cancer patient’s idea for a front yard lemonade stand turned into a foundation  dedicated to funding cutting-edge, innovative childhood cancer research.

While recovering in the hospital following a stem cell transplant, four-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott told her mother, “When I get out of the hospital, I want to hold a lemonade stand.”

Alex began her battle with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer that arises in the imma-ture nerve cells of the body, before her first birthday. Treatment after treatment failed to force her cancer into remission. However, the stem cell transplant left her feeling better than she had before. Alex said she wanted to give money to doctors to allow them to “help other kids, just like they helped me.”

True to her word, Alex held her first lemonade stand later that year and raised $2,000. While bravely battling her own cancer, Alex and her family held front yard lemonade stands and donated all the funds raised to childhood cancer research. News spread of the amazing little girl raising money for cures. Supporters around the world began holding front yard lemonade stands and donating the money to Alex and her cause.

In August 2004, Alex passed away at the age of eight knowing that she had helped raised $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life.

Now, 12 years later, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) has raised more than $120 million, funding over 550 childhood cancer research projects. ALSF combines the grassroots support of lemonade stand hosts, corporate sponsors, special events and volunteers with cutting-edge, innovative scientific research to find safer treatments, preventive therapies and cures for all types of childhood cancer.

Cancer is a leading cause of death

In the United States, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15. Every day, approximately 250 kids around the world die from cancer, accounting for 91,250 losing their lives to the disease every year. ALSF is working to change this fact through innovative research grants.

More breakthroughs, one research grant at a time

ALSF has three core program areas:

• Early Career Research is aimed at attracting the best and brightest researchers into a ca-reer dedicated to childhood cancer research.
• Accelerator Program focuses on funding innovative proposals to help accelerate the pace of discoveries that will lead to cures.
• Quality of Life and Care is aimed at nurse researchers who are working to better under-stand the psychosocial aspects of childhood cancer.

Throughout the year, our Scientific Advisory Board and Review Board review grant proposals for projects that fund cutting-edge treatments, unlock the mystery of childhood cancer, improve the quality of life of children with cancer and ultimately find cures for all types of childhood cancer.

The ALSF approach bridges the funding gap in childhood cancer research, while empowering each one of us to make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer. HLM