Alexandra Scott

 

A girl with a mission to help all kids with cancer...

Alexandra “Alex” Scott is a little girl with a great heart and a dedicated mind, while not commonly known among most of them. Her remarkable story began on January 18, 1996 in Manchester, Connecticut, when she was born all right like most of children. But before her first birthday, Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer.

The first birthday of Alex's was not a pretty one for her, because the doctors informed Alex’s parents that if she defeat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. News of her severe childhood cancer already seemed detrimental enough, but her paralysis seemed to be the defining sign of her misfortune. Not only would she not live a long life, but she was predicted to be practically immobile the entire time. Despite this, she set out to disprove her diagnosis, instead of becoming defined by it. When she was told she would never walk again, against all odds and with extreme determination, she attempted to walk, stumbling, and wailing as she went. This was the first indication of who she would turn out to be a determined, courageous, confident and inspiring child with big dreams and big accomplishments.

Regardless of her understanding of her condition, her desire to walk carried her beyond the pain she experienced. Her determination to walk allowed her to disprove what doctors determined to be her fate. It is incredible how, given her age, she had such an innate tenacity that could weather pain and failure. Symbolically, walking would be her way of showing the world that she was determined to be a leader, paving her own path, and standing tall through whatever tried to knock her down.

By her second birthday, Alex was crawling and able to stand up with leg braces. She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be beating the odds, until the shattering discovery within the next year that her tumors had started growing again. In 2000, the day after her fourth birthday, Alex received a stem cell transplant. She told her mother, “When I get out of the hospital, I want to have a lemonade stand.” She wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to “help other kids, like they helped me.” True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother, her friend Teresa and raised an amazing $2,000 for “her hospital.”

At the peak of her lemonade stand’s fame, Scott lost her closest friend Teresa to cancer, shedding light on the consequences of her own cancer diagnosis. Teresa’s conditions mirrored hers exactly; both moved from Manchester to Philadelphia to receive treatment for neuroblastoma. Teresa’s death served as a reminder to Scott of the unpredictability of the condition and what little time she had left. Yet, with the same determination she had to walk, Scott did not let her fears or grief prevent her from continuing the lemonade stand. While she was initially upset, she ultimately said, “I’m going to do this lemonade stand and I’m going to do it in memory of Teresa” .After overcoming obstacle after obstacle, she had developed maturity beyond her years in the face of grief. Her acceptance of loss is one that is scarcely found in children or adults. She teaches that one must not dwell in loss but transform it into motivation to live better.

While bravely battling her own cancer, Alex and her family continued to hold yearly lemonade stands in their front yard to benefit childhood cancer research. News spread of the remarkable sick child dedicated to helping other sick children. People from all over the world, moved by her story, held their own lemonade stands and donated the proceeds to Alex and her cause.

 

 

In August of 2004, Alex died at the age of eight, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex’s family including brothers Patrick, Eddie and Joey and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring legacy through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. With an unparalleled legacy and timeless wisdom, Alexandra Scott proved herself to be an undeniably significant and admirable hero.