The Childhood Cancer Blog

The Childhood Cancer Blog

Welcome to The Childhood Cancer Blog
from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation!

“They didn’t know life without the other one,” said Gloria, about her sons Grayson and Christian (pictured above)

Christian was best friends with his older brother, Grayson. The boys were just as close as brothers could be. 

“They didn’t know life without the other one,” said their mother Gloria. 

Then Grayson was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, an aggressive type of pediatric brain tumor, when he was just 14 years old. Christian was 12 years old. Grayson was in treatment constantly for the next two years; Christian was home. 

Grayson died in March 2021, leaving his parents and his brother. The loss for the family was obviously crushing and left Gloria and her husband... Read More

Every year, an estimated 17,000 children receive the diagnosis of childhood cancer, entering a terrifying and uncertain world of hospital stays, treatments and fear. While survival rates continue to steadily increase, especially for the most common types of leukemia, childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States.

Despite this fact, childhood cancer research is consistently and vastly underfunded by the federal government as compared to adult cancers. But, together, we can bridge that gap, raise awareness, and take action to support... Read More

“It is so powerful for me to witness the strength of these kids and the love they are surrounded by through their families and their medical team,” said Nat Clymer, a Flashes of Hope photographer. 

The photographers who volunteer for Flashes of Hope, a program of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, go to one of the most difficult places to capture some of the most special images: pediatric oncology hospitals. 

One Flashes of Hope photographer, Nat Clymer, recalled one of his photo shoots with a little girl named Kennedy who was in the hospital with terminal cancer. During the shoot with her family, Kennedy hadn’t made eye contact with Nat or her family members the entire time. Still, Nat was able to capture some... Read More

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