My first experience with ALSF, and my lasting inspiration

Lauren Humphries – Race Director,
2009 LEAD Strong Half Marathon

Coming into this position as race director for the 2009 LEAD Strong Half Marathon, I knew very little about Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, or its founder Alex Scott. But I believe that giving back is an essential part of being human, so I was very excited that we had already established a LEAD Strong tradition of donating proceeds of the event to ALSF.

There's a plaque on my desk that our organization received for being a Top 100 Stand Host in 2007. Engraved on the plaque is a quote from Alex & the Amazing Lemonade Stand,

"It's simple, you see, for this whole thing is not about me. As long as kids are sick, I'll do what I can, to help raise money through my Lemonade Stands."

I was amazed at its childlike simplicity. After reading Alex's story, I was so moved by the fact that one small girl with a big heart and big dreams turned one small idea into a national phenomenon. Though like many ALSF supporters, I never had the privilege to meet Alex, her strength of character and determination to help other children with cancer have made a tremendous impression on me, and the rest of our staff. We're so excited to keep helping Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, knowing that they're putting the money in the hands of the brightest minds in the country, in the hope that someday, someone somewhere will find a cure for childhood cancer.

I think many great lessons can be learned from Alex's story, but the thing that has touched me the most is her complete selflessness and desire to help others. I think most people would simply call that love.

LEAD Strong is a half marathon that Towson University Campus Recreation Services hosts every spring as part of Campus Recreation Services’ mission to promote healthy, active lifestyles through involvement on campus. LEAD Strong is a 13.1 mile half-marathon that covers a 6.55 mile stretch of the NCR trail in Freeland, Maryland. LEAD Strong is about setting and achieving goals, and proving to yourself that you can defy limitations. The race is named LEAD Strong, because it focuses on leadership skills such as having vision, setting goals, being persistent, managing your time, honing your focus, and improving physical fitness in order to reach a specific goal.

How Social Support Helped Our Family in Small and Big Ways

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s Hero Brett Staino

On March 26, 2008 our lives were changed forever. Our 15-month-old son, Brett, was diagnosed with stage III Wilms’ tumor, a form of pediatric cancer. The immediate outpouring of support from the hospital staff, family, friends, our community and even perfect strangers is, to this day, beyond words. I will never be able to thank everyone enough for all they have done to help my family, but their generosity and thoughtfulness will never be forgotten.

While spending three months inpatient at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), I was able to keep in touch, express my feelings and receive verbal support through “carepages,” a website developed for patients of CHOP. Not only did this become our lifeline, but CHOP became our second family. Parents talked to each other on the oncology floor and helped each other through difficult times. Support groups were also run there, offering group counseling on what we were now facing as “cancer parents.” The Ronald McDonald House offered lodging as needed for families. The Child Life Specialists helped try and make inpatient as comfortable as possible for you and your child by bringing toys, movies and games that your child would enjoy. Speech and music therapists were also provided to help my son from any regression.

While inpatient, our community began rallying for us as well. My son began receiving drawings and cards from his friends at daycare and others to help keep his spirits up. A beef and beer benefit was held for my son and about 400 people attended. We began to receive support through the mail, from gas cards to help with our travels to donations for our son’s medical care. One woman even held a birthday party for her two children and in lieu of gifts asked for donations to assist our family. We didn’t even know this woman, but this is a deed that will forever stay in our minds. We received notices from churches all across the country stating that our son’s name was added to their prayer requests. People that knew us or knew our story were having their own children pray for my son at night before bed. Family and friends continued to gather offering us love and support all throughout his treatment. Local organizations sponsored our family to help financially and emotionally during my son’s treatment and thereafter.

It was and still is truly amazing to see how many lives my son has touched and the outpouring of love and support our family continues to receive to this day. Although this is a situation that no one ever wants to encounter, I must say it’s a whole new world, surrounded by many caring and loving people who have touched our lives in such an unbelievable way. For this, all I can say is….thank you!

By: Shannon Staino, Brett's Mother

The Staino Family will host an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Walk-a-thon on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at the Cape May County Park and Zoo. For more information:

http://www.AlexsLemonade.org/node/7489

Mom Blogger: Liz Scott

Exciting news – Liz Scott, Alex’s mom, has been chosen as one of the mom bloggers on Working Mother’s website. Deemed “Lemonade Mom,” Liz will share some of her life experiences as a mom, as well as advice from time to time through this blog. Her first entry examined how she as a mother dealt with a child’s illness and how she listened to her instincts. Check out the beginning of her blog below, and click on the link for the blog in its entirety. Keep checking the Working Mother site for updates too!

Dealing with a child's illness,
and using your instincts as a mom

My daughter Alexandra "Alex" Scott was the second born of my four children. The only girl, Alex was special from the moment she came into the world. She had beautiful blue eyes, and though she was premature, she arrived at a healthy weight and went home soon after. The months following her birth were fairly uneventful, other than the fact that I was now juggling two children under the age of 1. It was only as time passed that I began to realize that something was not right with Alex. Alex’s older brother Patrick is less than a year her senior, and had not demonstrated any of the behaviors or symptoms that Alex was. If they weren’t so close in age, I am not sure I would have thought anything of it, but I took Alex to the pediatrician who advised me that she was fine. When we returned numerous more times, the doctor finally said “you have to come to the terms with the fact that you don’t have a happy baby.”

Read the complete story at WorkingMother.com