E51: Liz Scott on Alex’s Lemonade Stand and the Power of a Child’s Mission · The Pediatric Moonshot · Radar

Alexandra’s Cancer Journey & Birth of the Lemonade Stand1:24 – 5:24

1:24

thank you what an intro

Timothy ChouHost

1:27

you have to start by telling us alexandra's story i

1:32

am always happy to my daughter alex was diagnosed two days before she turned one with neuroblastoma which is a pediatric tumor She would go on to fight cancer the rest of her life.

1:47

She went through two years of surgeries, the known cures via chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and she never went into full remission.

1:58

At that point, we were told there really were not very many options, but there were some.

2:03

And one of those options was what's called MIBG therapy or MIBG treatment.

2:10

And this was at the time in 1999. a really exciting idea, still pretty exciting, but it was very targeted.

2:20

So neuroblastoma cells like soak up this radioactive iodine and not a lot of other places in the body do.

2:29

So they were able to attach like a radioactive isotope to that, something along those lines.

2:35

She was the second child to receive it.

2:36

It worked dramatically.

2:37

And I bring that up at the start of the story, because if it wasn't for that, there would be no lemonade stand.

2:43

So not only are we dedicated to finding new ways and innovative ways to treat children with cancer.

2:49

We were literally founded because of one of those therapies.

2:53

Inspired by that, we pursued a number of additional options that were now available to her.

3:00

She lived four and a half more years fighting cancer, but three years of those were really the best year she had because of the treatment that she was on being less toxic for her.

3:12

It also is the thing that inspired her to do her lemonade stand.

3:16

So shortly after that, she decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand.

3:19

She was just turned four and she persisted for months because I put her off as parents do when you have, we had two other young children at the time, you know, a five-year-old, a four-year-old, a one-year-old, and it was cold.

3:33

So I said, you know, we'll do it.

3:34

We'll do it later.

3:35

We'll do it eventually.

3:36

And finally, one day after months of asking about her stand in June of 2000, she said to me, We still haven't had my lemonade stand.

3:44

And now it's hot out.

3:45

I said, Alex, what do you want to buy so badly? And she said, I want to, I'm not keeping the money.

Alexandra’s Cancer Journey & Birth of the Lemonade Stand1:24 – 5:24

1:24

thank you what an intro

Timothy ChouHost

1:27

you have to start by telling us alexandra's story i

1:32

am always happy to my daughter alex was diagnosed two days before she turned one with neuroblastoma which is a pediatric tumor She would go on to fight cancer the rest of her life.

1:47

She went through two years of surgeries, the known cures via chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and she never went into full remission.

1:58

At that point, we were told there really were not very many options, but there were some.

2:03

And one of those options was what's called MIBG therapy or MIBG treatment.

2:10

And this was at the time in 1999. a really exciting idea, still pretty exciting, but it was very targeted.

2:20

So neuroblastoma cells like soak up this radioactive iodine and not a lot of other places in the body do.

2:29

So they were able to attach like a radioactive isotope to that, something along those lines.

2:35

She was the second child to receive it.

2:36

It worked dramatically.

2:37

And I bring that up at the start of the story, because if it wasn't for that, there would be no lemonade stand.

2:43

So not only are we dedicated to finding new ways and innovative ways to treat children with cancer.

2:49

We were literally founded because of one of those therapies.

2:53

Inspired by that, we pursued a number of additional options that were now available to her.

3:00

She lived four and a half more years fighting cancer, but three years of those were really the best year she had because of the treatment that she was on being less toxic for her.

3:12

It also is the thing that inspired her to do her lemonade stand.

3:16

So shortly after that, she decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand.

3:19

She was just turned four and she persisted for months because I put her off as parents do when you have, we had two other young children at the time, you know, a five-year-old, a four-year-old, a one-year-old, and it was cold.

3:33

So I said, you know, we'll do it.

3:34

We'll do it later.

3:35

We'll do it eventually.

3:36

And finally, one day after months of asking about her stand in June of 2000, she said to me, We still haven't had my lemonade stand.

3:44

And now it's hot out.

3:45

I said, Alex, what do you want to buy so badly? And she said, I want to, I'm not keeping the money.