Alex’s Lemonade Stand

So many of us have been touched by cancer; mothers, brothers, children and friends. I have family members and close friends who are fighting right now, and sadly some of them I have lost. I sometimes feel helpless in the face of their suffering. One of the “fighters” has inspired me to mobilize the resources at In Step to help her reach her goal to raise money and awareness.

She is 10. Her name is Maya Zigler and she is the pride and joy (and granddaughter) of my dear friend Judi.

This feisty girl beat her first bout with cancer when she was only 2. She endured a grueling treatment protocol and surgery. Her parents and grandparents were by her side praying, hoping, and ultimately grateful because Maya beat the group of “sad cells” (Wilms Tumor) in her body. Now, after eight years of growing up like any other girl – listening to Taylor Swift, texting her friends, and arguing with her parents for more independence – Maya is fighting a cancer unrelated to the first one once again.

Maya is a fighter. She is also an activist. Ever since Maya battled cancer the first time when she was 2, she and her parents have been setting up lemonade stands to raise money for pediatric cancer research in the spirit of Maya’s idol, the late Alex Scott who died of cancer at age 8. Alex created Alex’s Lemonade Stand in 2000, an organization that has directly or indirectly raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Since her recent diagnosis a few months ago, Maya’s lemonade stand page has succeeded in raising well over $100,000. Her new goal is $500,000.

Our In Step clinicians, administrative staff and I would like to help Maya meet her goals. As In Step celebrates our 20th anniversary this year, I’d like to honor our In Step parents who, like Maya’s, would do anything to help their kids lead healthy, happy lives. This summer, we are going to donate a portion of the fee from every visit to Alex’s Lemonade Stand.