I sat down at my computer on September 1, 2022 and saw a Facebook post from Alex’s doctor.
It had been more than three years since Alex passed away, but I stayed in touch. Alex admired her. So did I.
She was brilliant, kind and deeply committed to her patients.
I could see how much she cared about Alex—how hard it was the day she had to tell Alex the cancer would take her life. It occurred to me how hard it must be to fight battles you lose more often than you win—and keep showing up anyway.
I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. I was one man with limited resources. How could I make a difference in this huge, seemingly unwinnable fight?
When I feel overwhelmed, the best thing I can do is something—anything that moves me in the right direction.
When I didn’t know how to create a legacy for Alex, I picked up the phone, called my siblings and we figured it out together.
That morning, I saw Dr. Pratilas’ post that Childhood Cancer Awareness Month started that day. She and a team of medical professionals from Johns Hopkins Hospital were participating in a month-long fundraiser called the Million Mile. Participants walked, ran, or cycled to raise funds. The goal was to collectively log one million miles by the end of the month.
I immediately made a donation, wrote a post of my own about what this meant to me, and shared a link to her fundraiser. It was a step.
Then I went to work. But something kept nagging at me.
That isn’t enough. Why aren’t you out there?
I went back to the website to learn more about Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
It started with a four-year-old girl named Alex Scott, who was battling neuroblastoma. She set up a lemonade stand with a goal of raising $1 million for childhood cancer research.
Impossible, right?
She reached that goal at the age of eight—two weeks before she died.
And I thought I couldn’t make a difference.
Here’s a short video that tells her story.
I stood up from my desk.
Grabbed Dakota’s leash.
And we walked our first mile.
This is the fifth year Dakota and I have participated in the Million Mile. We haven’t made the same impact as Alex Scott. But we’re out there logging miles and raising funds.
Inspired by a little girl who dreamed bigger than I ever did.
Inspired by our own Alex.
And doing what we can to help make childhood cancer a thing of the past.
Mitch and Dakota are participating in the Million Mile this month in Alex’s memory. They are raising funds for childhood cancer research so Alex’s story doesn’t have to be someone else’s story.
You can donate here.
All donations are matched by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
Another nice story. I continue to pray for more capable cures and faster cares for these horrible illnesses! This is not fair for this to happen to anybody.