K12, the nation's leading provider of online school programs made available to public and private schools, and directly to families, is sponsoring "Operation Lemonade." This event is a nationwide effort, with thousands supporting Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and the fight against childhood cancer.
Alex Scott was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a type of pediatric cancer, just before her first birthday. This brave and courageous little girl, beginning at the age of four, raised more than 1 million dollars over the next four years. This all began as she held a vision of holding a lemonade stand in her front yard.
According to the American Cancer Society, 650 new cases of Neuroblastoma are reported each year. Neuroblastoma is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the nerve tissues of the adrenal glands, neck, chest, or spinal cord. It affects mostly infants and children. This type of pediatric cancer usually begins in children younger than five years. It sometimes forms before birth, but is usually found later when the tumor begins to grow and cause symptoms.
What are the signs and symptoms of Neuroblastoma?
- Easy bruising and bleeding
- Feeling tired
- Fever
- Swollen stomach and trouble breathing in infants
- Painless bluish lumps under the skin in infants
- Lump in abdomen, neck, or chest
- Bone pain
If a child is diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, more tests are performed to determine if the cancer has spread from where it orignally started. Ultrasounds may also detect early cases of Neuroblastoma in fetuses. In infants, a urine test may be used to screen for Neuroblastoma, however, it may not always be accurate, resulting in "false-positive" results. Once diagnosed, treatment protocols depend on the stage of the Neuroblastoma.
National Cancer Institute recommends the following tips to finding treatments:
- Have a good understanding of the type of cancer your child has been diagnosed with
- Keep a copy of your child's medical records and reports
- Date of diagnosis and age of your child
- Disease stage
- Histology
- Treatments used to date
- Description of how your child tolerated treatments used
- Short and long term side effects experienced
- How soon after completion of therapy did relapse occur
- Options presented by your child's oncologist
Alex lost her battle with Neuroblastoma at the age of eight in 2004. She held her first lemonade stand in 2000. Today, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered (501c3) public charity continues with Alex's dream of raising money for pediatric cancer causes and research into a cure.
Thousands of K12 students will host lemonade stands to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a leading national charity that has raised over $19 million for pediatric cancer research. The Foundation will host its own national weekend entitled, "Lemonade Days," June 6-8. It is estimated that 10,000 volunteers will host over 2,000 Alex's Lemonade Stands around the nation.
"Operation Lemonade," the nationwide event sponsored by K12 will be held on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2008. Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation will also be accepting donations online for those who can't make it for the K12 Lemonade Stand Weekend.
