Schools have become an integral group of supporters for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation with perhaps one of the greatest examples being The Potter Cup. Each year for the past nine years, two middle schools in the Philadelphia suburbs – Haverford Middle School and Paxon Hollow Middle School, hold a great event consisting of several athletic competitions, games, pep rallies, food, lemonade (of course) and a lot of noise! All of this spirited competition results in an amazing fundraising event benefiting ALSF and embodies one of the pillars of our mission – kids helping kids. The 2012 Potter Cup was held last Friday, January 27 with Paxon Hollow Middle School taking home the cup and raising more than $38,000 for the Foundation.We found out that one student at Paxon Hollow, Cameron Mathes, actually received treatment at the same time as Alex Scott and bravely spoke to his classmates at his school’s pep rally before the games began about why raising funds for childhood cancer research is so important. We are honored to feature Cameron as our guest blogger this week adding to our group of amazing childhood cancer heroes!
My school, Paxon Hollow Middle School, participates in the Potter Cup each year with Haverford Middle School to raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand. I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia when I was younger, and I wanted to share my experience with my classmates. On the morning of The Potter Cup, I spoke to the students at the school in order to help them understand what it was like to have cancer. The Potter Cup raised more than $38,000 this year, and I am proud to have been involved in raising money to help find a cure for childhood cancer. Here is my story that I told to my classmates:My name is Cameron Mathes, and I am a seventh grader at Paxon Hollow. When I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia, which is a type of cancer. I want to talk to you today to tell you what it was like to have cancer.
I don’t remember a lot from when I was sick, but I do remember that I couldn’t go to school, I had to get a lot of needles, and I lost all of my hair. I spent many days and nights at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), but they tried to make it a happy place for sick kids. I liked watching the ball machine in the lobby, I watched the Amtrak trains go by on the tracks, I enjoyed playing in the game room, the food was good, and I ate a lot of McDonald’s.
My parents have told me that when I was sick, it was a scary time for them. I had to have numerous medical procedures, I had pneumonia, my liver reacted badly to one of the medicines, and I had mouth sores so bad that I couldn’t eat. I stopped receiving chemotherapy treatments when I was almost 6 years old. After five years, the effects of the medicine I received had all worn off, and now I only have to go for check-ups once a year.
I didn’t know it at the time, but Alex, the girl who started Alex’s Lemonade Stand, was a patient at CHOP when I was. We received medicine next to each other in the day hospital, and we spent several nights in the hospital at the same time. I am proud to be a cancer survivor. I am happy to be alive, but am sad for the kids, like Alex, who didn’t survive.
I think it’s great that Paxon Hollow and Haverford Middle Schools raise so much money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand each year. There are many cancer patients who will be happy to know that so many kids are raising money so that a cure for cancer can be found.
- Cameron Mathes
For a variety of ways to get your school involved, check out the schools section on our website!
February 3, 2012
