Today marks 18 years since my daughter Alex passed away. I have heard many ways that families who have lost children mark this day — quietly or with displays of remembrance, butterfly releases or special services at a place of worship. Each family has their own ways of holding their dear child or sibling in their hearts. Our family tends to be on the quiet side. I am sure that sounds odd since I am writing a public blog that will be shared on the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation social channels, but that is how it feels. We won’t do any special remembrance as a family. We each acknowledge... Read More
The Childhood Cancer Blog
Welcome to The Childhood Cancer Blog
from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation!
When Alex died, Liz didn’t just lose a daughter, but someone who would have grown to be a best friend to her as they aged.
Patrick's earliest memory is when he went to the hospital to see his sister Alex, the day after she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.
Eddie (pictured above with Alex) was just 5 years old when Alex passed away.
Alex anticipated the birth of her youngest brother Joey (pictured above) with great excitement.
When Alex died, Liz didn’t just lose a daughter, but someone who would have grown to be a best friend to her as they aged.
“Solving childhood cancer is a really big goal and it takes a lot of innovative thinking, but it also requires a lot of collaboration – a lot of sharing of knowledge,” said Liz and Jay Scott, ALSF’s co-executive directors and Alex’s parents. “And the wonderful thing about the Childhood Cancer Data Lab is that's exactly what it's designed to do.”
Since 2017, the Childhood Cancer Data Lab has been a key player in the advancement of childhood cancer research. Their mission is to provide pediatric cancer experts with the knowledge, data, and tools to reach their scientific goals. Now, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)’s Data Lab is celebrating five years of empowering scientists to find cures for kids with cancer.
“Solving childhood cancer is a really big goal and it takes a lot of innovative thinking, but it also requires a lot of collaboration – a lot of sharing of knowledge,” said Liz and Jay Scott, ALSF’s co-... Read More
The treatment for osteosarcoma, one of the most common types of pediatric sarcoma of the bone, has remained unchanged for 40 years.
And while conventional methods (chemotherapy, surgery and more chemotherapy) work for some children with osteosarcoma, the disease spreads from the primary site in the bone to the lungs. Once this happens, there is no standard of care and survival rates dip from 60% to 30%.
Families are left with limited options and experimental clinical trials.
The problem is the same with other types of childhood cancer — from neuroblastoma to... Read More
