A message from Liz and Jay Scott, Alex's parents:
Dear Parents,
Many people have heard the story of our daughter Alexandra “Alex” Scott who was only 4 when she held her first lemonade stand to raise money to find cures for kids, like her, with cancer. Fewer people know that Alex is one of four kids in our family. Although Alex was the one in treatment, her three brothers–Patrick, Eddie, and Joey–also experienced the impact of being part of a family affected by childhood cancer. We know that it has not always been easy for them dealing with the uncertainty, fear, and worry that comes along with a sibling’s cancer diagnosis, but their experience has also shaped them into the young men we are so proud of today. As we continue Alex’s legacy through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Patrick, Eddie, and Joey are strong supporters and have been with us every step of the way.
![The Scott Family](/sites/default/files/images/alsf1/scott_family.jpeg)
Having grown up with siblings ourselves, we know the integral role they play in our lives, whether in good times or difficult times. There is nothing quite like the sibling bond, and the unique support and sense of normalcy that a brother or sister can give to a child in treatment. We are honored to be able to give siblings the support that they too need through SuperSibs!
Best regards,
Parents of Patrick, Alex, Eddie, and Joey
Liz and Jay Scott
What can Parents/Guardians do?
Childhood cancer doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but ALSF is here to help. Communicating with your child can be challenging after a diagnosis, but compassion and patience will be your guide through the difficult journey ahead. Here are a few tips to help you navigate life after a childhood cancer diagnosis:
- Keep your children updated on the status of your childhood cancer hero in age-appropriate terms. Sometimes, young children can use their imagination to fill in the gaps, and that could be scary for them.
- Aim to have one-on-one time with your child(ren), especially if you have to spend nights in the hospital. Even a 5-minute phone call can make a difference.
- Listen
- Recognize your child(ren)’s accomplishments
- If you have older siblings, make sure that another adult is taking care of the “adult” responsibilities, so they don’t have additional stress on themselves.
- Remind them it is ok to laugh and be silly sometimes.
ALSF Services for Parents
Tips for Talking to SuperSibs
Ways to Brighten a SuperSib’s Day
Keeping Your SuperSib Connected
Blog Posts
Other Resources for SuperSibs
Grief and Loss Support
Download the Grief and Loss Mailing Program Parent Toolkit
Organizations that specialize in grief support
All external links are provided for informational purposes only. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation does not endorse any of the services or opinions of the organizations listed and bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external website or their subsequent links. Please inform us if you find that a website is outdated, is no longer applicable to our purpose or has a broken link.
- Compassionate Friends
- The Dougy Center at the National Center for Grieving Children & Families
- Peter’s Place
Suggested Reading
- When Families Grieve (Sesame Street) (PDF)
- Death and Loss: Helping Children Manage Their Grief , Scholastic, by Bruce D. Perry MD, April 2006 (via Scholastic.com)
- “After a Loved One Dies —How Children Grieve and how parents and other adults can support them” by David J. Schonfeld, MD and Marcia Quackenbush, MS, MFT, CHES. (PDF)
- WhatsYourGrief.com
Past Comfort & Care Mailings
Ages 4-7
- Postcard – Summer 2024
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2024
- Postcard - Valentine's 2024
- Postcard – New Year’s 2024
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2023
- Postcard – Halloween 2023
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2023
- Postcard – Summer 2023
- Postcard – New Year’s 2023
- Postcard - Valentine's 2023
- Postcard – New Years 2022
- Postcard – Valentine’s 2022
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2022
- Postcard – Summer 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2021
- Postcard – Fall/winter 2021
- Playbook – Fall/winter 2021
- Postcard – Summer 2021
- Postcard - New Years 2021
- Postcard - Valentine's Day 2021
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2021
- Playbook - Fall/Winter 2020
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2020
- Postcard – Fall 2019
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2019
Ages 8-12
- Postcard – Summer 2024
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2024
- Postcard - Valentine's 2024
- Postcard – New Year’s 2024
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2023
- Postcard – Halloween 2023
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2023
- Postcard – Summer 2023
- Postcard – New Year’s 2023
- Postcard - Valentine's 2023
- Postcard – New Years 2022
- Postcard – Valentine’s 2022
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2022
- Postcard – Summer 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2021
- Postcard – Fall/winter 2021
- Playbook – Fall/winter 2021
- Postcard – Summer 2021
- Postcard - New Years 2021
- Postcard - Valentine's Day 2021
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2021
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2020
- Playbook - Fall/Winter 2020
- Postcard – Fall 2019
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2019
Ages 13-18
- Postcard – Summer 2024
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2024
- Postcard - Valentine's 2024
- Postcard – New Year’s 2024
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2023
- Postcard – Halloween 2023
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2023
- Postcard – Summer 2023
- Postcard – New Year’s 2023
- Postcard - Valentine's 2023
- Postcard – New Years 2022
- Postcard – Valentine’s 2022
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2022
- Postcard – Summer 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2022
- Postcard – Fall 2021
- Postcard – Fall/winter 2021
- Playbook – Fall/winter 2021
- Postcard – Summer 2021
- Postcard - New Years 2021
- Postcard - Valentine's Day 2021
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2021
- Playbook - Fall/Winter 2020
- Playbook – Spring/Summer 2020
- Postcard – Fall 2019
- Playbook – Fall/Winter 2019