Alex's Lemonade Stand: Then, Now, And What's To Come As Work Alex Scott Started Isn't Complete
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Alex Scott was just 4 years old when she decided to hold a lemonade stand to raise money for her doctors so that none of her friends, and no other children, would have to fight cancer. What an amazing movement Alex started.
She died at the age of 8 but her parents, her brothers, and thousands of people around the world have kept her dream alive.
Alex wanted to raise money for her doctors so other kids wouldn't have to suffer like she did. That is why, even so many years after she passed, her family is still working toward her dream.
They tell us how it all started and that now there are cures and better treatments. But as Alex always said, there's more to do.
"After Alex died we didn't immediately think we were gonna continue this at all," Alex's mom Liz said. "We felt her story had completed. She had reached her goal. The little lemonade girl had reached her goal of a million dollars and passed away."
But, the outpouring of love and donations and questions of "what now" continued. Alex offered families hope and that weighed on the Scotts' minds and hearts, and they realized their work, Alex's work, was not finished.
"When she was about 6, she told us that we were selfish, that we need to fund all kids' cancers at all different hospitals and that was really her vision. And that's what set Alex's Lemonade Stand on the path to be able to have such a huge impact on so many different kinds of pediatric cancers," Liz said.
She says if years ago you would have told her she be sitting in this position, having raised over $250 million, she probably would have laughed.
"I mean we, everybody involved with Alex's has raised over $250 million, I would probably have laughed. and thought like, 'with a lemonade stand?'" Liz said.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation puts that money to great use, funding research into better, safer treatments and cures.
"Kids today are alive because of things we have funded," Alex's dad Jay said.
The Scotts reached out to scientists across the globe to come up with a plan to cure the incurable. They call it the "Crazy Eight Initiative."
"We think some of them are going to be just game-changers across childhood cancer, but possibly across other cancers," Jay said.
The foundation is also making it easier for researchers to access information on childhood cancer, with its childhood cancer data lab.
"The government has all this data, not easily usable, so we arranged in a similar way so scientists can easily access it," Jay said. "The ultimate goal is 'let's get better treatments and cure all kids,' but that's a tough job and one that's way down the road. You have families now that are going through cancer who need help."
The foundation offers family support, helps families travel to get to treatment through the Travel for Care program, and offers siblings support through the Super-Sibs Program. And the Flashes of Hope program offers memories in the form of photos.
"Professional photographers go in and photograph families together capturing that moment, which is beautiful as a family in that moment. For some families, unfortunately, it can be the last photos that they have together as a family," Liz said.
Capturing a moment, giving hope, and offering a chance at a cure. Alex would be proud.
"I've never been more hopeful that we can cure all kids with cancer," Liz said.
