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Life got turned upside down for Mountain View resident Katy Crain in 2019 when her daughter Hadley was diagnosed with leukemia. Nearly two years later, Hadley’s battle with cancer appears to be going well, but for Crain it’s been sobering to learn just how common their experience is.
About one in 285 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer before they reach age 20, and it’s one of the leading causes of death in young children. Crain said she was shocked to see how little federal funding flows into pediatric cancer research, prompting her to take action.
This Sunday, June 13, Crain and her family are hosting a lemonade stand to raise funds on behalf of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to childhood cancer research. Donations can also be made online during and preceding the event.
Hadley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in November 2019, which Crain said was a “surreal” experience. But her family received a huge outpouring of support from unexpected places, she said, with other parents picking up her older daughter from school every day and an anonymous person picking up the tab for school lunches through the remainder of the year. It helped to not have to worry about logistics, Crain said, and she is hoping to give back with the fundraiser this weekend.
More than halfway through the treatment process, Hadley is doing “very well” and continues her gauntlet of intravenous chemotherapy and chemo pills. Crain said she is not seeking financial help for her own child’s treatment, but instead wants to do her part to support fundraising for pediatric cancer research. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has consistently allocated only about 4% of its budget to childhood cancer research, leaving it up to private philanthropic money to bolster the effort.
Plus, Crain said, the lemonade stand will be doing something positive.
“It is important for us to focus on anything other than what’s actually happening,” Crain said. “Yes, she has cancer, but she is doing okay. So what is something else we can focus our energy on?”
Families with kids going through cancer treatment have had it particularly rough during the pandemic, Crain said. Hospital largely prohibited visitors due to COVID-19, making it difficult for Hadley’s siblings to connect with her during her lengthy hospital stays. The national Make-A-Wish foundation put an indefinite pause on travel wishes and wishes that involve large gatherings, which put on hold Hadley’s wish of traveling to Disney World with front-of-the-line tickets, and it’s unclear if and when it will finally be honored.
When Crain floated the idea of the lemonade stand on Mountain View’s local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group, she said was overwhelmed with donations. She picked up a lemonade stand kit and far more lemons than they actually needed, along with offers of baked goods. The plan is to ditch any sort of pricing scheme and just encourage visitors to donate and grab a cup of lemonade.
The stand will be open at 2551 Mardell Way in Mountain View from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, and donations may also be made online.
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