AMESBURY — Sometimes life gives you lemons, and as the saying goes, you take those lemons and make lemonade.
But some lemons are bigger than others.
When Maddy Lewis was handed one of the biggest lemons of all, a rare childhood cancer, she made lemonade for the entire town of Amesbury.
Each year, Maddy sets up a lemonade stand at her home in Amesbury as part of the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity that raises money to fund pediatric cancer research. Lewis will hold this year's lemonade stand on Sunday, June 8, from noon until the lemonade supply runs dry. The lemonade will sell for $1 per cup.
"If it wasn't for foundations like Alex's Lemonade Stand, I wouldn't be here today," said 12-year-old Maddy.
At the age of 4, Maddy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare type of childhood cancer that is often incurable. After eight rounds of chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants, Maddy is now in her seventh year of remission.
"It is probably the worst kind of cancer a kid could get," said Maddy's mother, Cathy. She added that there is no treatment for the cancer if it resurfaces.
Despite the fear of a relapse, Maddy and her family remain optimistic, constantly wishing for a cure and working to fund the research to find it. Maddy has participated in many fundraisers including the Locks of Love charity where doners cut off their own hair to help make hairpieces for children with long-term medical hair loss.
Last year, she found herself in the top 100 best-selling lemonade stands out of the nearly 2,500 Alex's Foundation hosts nationwide during its Lemonade Days in June.
Maddy insists, however, that her top-sales award did not belong to her, but to the community that helped raised the money. She said that her goal this year is to have every person in Amesbury come to the stand and give just $1.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is a charity that was started by 4-year-old Alex Scott, who was also diagnosed with neuroblastoma. It was a simple idea, the lemonade stand, but Alex started a nationwide event that gives 100 percent of its proceeds to pediatric cancer research, an area of cancer research that only receives 4 percent of funding from cancer programs, neuroblastoma receiving zero.
Although Alex died in 2004, the lemonade stands continue to raise money each year during this June weekend. In one weekend, the stands manage to raise more than $1 million, adding to the $19 million Alex's foundation has raised to date.
But what could make this lemonade stand so much sweeter? Try adding two-time breast cancer survivor Pat Perry and her Amesbury candy store.
Perry, owner of Carriagetown Chocolates, always keeps a jar on her store counter for donations to St. Jude's foundation for childhood cancer. During this May and June, however, she is donating the jar's contents to Maddy's, and therefore Alex's, lemonade stand.
"Kids with cancer has always been my charity," said Perry.
Perry and Maddy, according to Maddy's mother, formed a "beautiful friendship" when they met three years ago. Since then, Perry has helped Maddy with several fundraisers, forming a strong team of not one, but two cancer survivors.
"We just have this bond," said Perry, "we both have had cancer and that is where the bond is."
This year, in addition to her donation jar, Perry is also holding a raffle at her store for Red Sox tickets, Patriots tickets, as well as an overnight package at Maine's York Harbor Inn. Nevertheless, it seems a little out of the ordinary for a breast cancer survivor to be fighting a disease found in only 500 children in the United States each year.
"A lot of women get very involved with breast cancer fundraising and prevention," said Perry, "but cancer isn't pretty in anybody, and I can't imagine it in a kid."
Through the years, Maddy and her family have seen many friends die from the rare disease, including those with whom Maddy attended treatment. In the end, however, it has only made Maddy's fight stronger and more determined.
"It is her lifelong mission to stop this disease," said her mother.
If you go:
What: Maddy Lewis' lemonade stand, part of the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Lemonade Days to benefit pediatric cancer research.
Where: 81 Congress St., Amesbury
When: Sunday, June 8, from noon until the lemonade runs out.
How: Bring just $1 to donate and receive a cup of lemonade. If you cannot make it and would like to make a donation, you can make a check out to Alex's Lemonade Stand and mail it c/o Madison Lewis, 81 Congress St., Amesbury, MA 01913.
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