1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: By seven am, somebody's knocking on the door saying, I 2 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: know it doesn't start until later, but I'm going out 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: of town and I had to meet you and give 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: you my donation, and it was NonStop. At the end 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: of the day, I honestly thought it was too much 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: for her. A lot of people don't realize this about her, 7 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: but she didn't like attention like that. It wasn't about her. 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: It almost embarrassed her. And at the end of the day, 9 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: I said, what did you think, Alex, thinking this may 10 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: have been too much for her, and she said it 11 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: was the best thing that ever happened to me. She 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: had raised two thousand dollars, and I remember feeling like 13 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: I was going to cry because I knew then that 14 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: for all of my sort of not mocking but joking 15 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: about the lemonade stand that's going to cure cancer, it 16 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: really meant something to her. 17 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 18 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, 19 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: I'm an entrepreneur, and I've been a football coach and 20 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 2: inner City Memphis. And somehow that last part led to 21 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 2: an oscar for the film about our team. It's called undefeated, y'all. 22 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: I believe our country's problems are never going to be 23 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits 24 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 2: using big words that nobody ever uses on CNN and Fox, but. 25 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 3: Rather by an army of normal folks. 26 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: That's us, just you and me deciding, Hey, you know what, 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: maybe I can help. 28 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: That's what Liz Scott, the. 29 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 2: Voice you just heard, has done. Liz's four year old daughter, Alex, 30 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: was fighting neuroblastoma cancer, and yet Alex, at four years old, 31 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: decided to dig deep, and she hosted a lemonade stand 32 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: to raise money. But not for herself so she could 33 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: get a toy, and not for herself so she could 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: make herself happy. 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 3: But this four year old with cancer. 36 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 2: Decided to host a lemonade stand to raise money for 37 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: child hood cancer research. 38 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 3: By the time Alex died. 39 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: When she was eight years old, her lemonade stand Get 40 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 2: This raised a million bucks from four to eight years old. 41 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: By her death at eight, she'd raised a million dollars 42 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: selling lemonade and Liz, Alex's mom, and her husband Jay, 43 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: have continued building their daughter's legacy ever since. Alex's lemonade 44 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 2: Stan foundation has raised an incredible three hundred and fifty 45 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 2: million dollars with a literal army of normal folks hosting 46 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: lemonade stands for them across the country. Guys, listen to 47 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: every word of this interview. I cannot wait for you 48 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 2: to meet Liz right after these brief messages from our 49 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 2: general sponsors. 50 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: Liz Scott, Welcome to Memphis. 51 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: Thank you. 52 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, where'd you flew in from Philly? 53 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: Philadelphia? 54 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 3: Yeah? Do you get a NonStop flight on that bill? Yes? 55 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: Very easy, very easy. 56 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, because we used to have a hub. 57 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 2: We were in Northwest Hub in Memphis, and we had 58 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 2: NonStop everywhere with Delta Bolt Northwest. 59 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 3: We lost our hub and we lost a lot of 60 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 3: our nonstops. 61 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: Well, I think you could go NonStop to Philadelphia. 62 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, we can't. Now that's that's the beautiful thing everybody. 63 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 2: Liz Scott is the co executive director with her husband Jay, 64 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 2: of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. More important, Liz is Alex's mom, 65 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: and we're going to talk about that first. For those 66 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 2: of you listening, we are at Firebirds Wood fired Grill 67 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: in Karivilt, Tennessee. I think fire Birds is a big 68 00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: old sponsor of Alex's limit. 69 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: They have been a sponsor for thirteen years, so we've 70 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: grown up together. 71 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: A thirteen year sponsor of Alex's lemonade stands. So thank 72 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 2: you to Firebirds. And we are live in front of 73 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: a group of people who are interested in Liz and 74 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 2: Alex's story. 75 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 3: So say hi everybody. 76 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 2: Oh that's weak, say hi everybody. Thank you. So fans, Liz, 77 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: what do you do? I mean, there's live people to 78 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: hear your story. Pretty cool. 79 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: I think some of them are your fans. 80 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 3: What's up to? 81 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: Your fans are your fans too? So you've got to 82 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 1: give yourself some credit. 83 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: If we said, hey, Bill's going to be at Firebirds, 84 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 2: y'all come, we wouldn't have anybody here at all. So 85 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: it's you. Your story has so much to it and 86 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 2: we could do a ten hour show on it. 87 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: But very briefly, where are you from? How'd you grow up? 88 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: I grew up right outside Hartford, Connecticut in a place 89 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: called Windsor, Connecticut. Great childhood, very lucky, great place to 90 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: grow up. One of nine child Yes, so I grew 91 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: up with a lot of love and family around all 92 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: the time and had. 93 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 3: A pretty typical for nine kids. 94 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: My dad was a saint, as is my mom. He 95 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: was a nuclear power plant engineer. Wow, so he specialized 96 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: in I think, like how you get rid of the waita. 97 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 2: Like kindling on each other? And beds? 98 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 3: I mean, how how do you? How do you? 99 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: We all had our own beds. At least I was 100 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: number seven, so I, you know, may have had it 101 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: a little more cushy than some of the older ones. 102 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: We all had our own beds, but we did. I 103 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: shared a room until high school. And in fact, I 104 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: remember when you know, as somebody moved to college, that's 105 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: it your room. After a little while, your room, what's gone? Yeah? 106 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: And I remember my mom just assumed I would want 107 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: to move. Or my sister moved to my other sister's room, 108 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: and I was devastated. I loved sharing a room with 109 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: my sister. 110 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 3: That's awesome. So you and Jamie, where'd that happen? 111 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: We met at Windsor high school. Were high school sweethearts, 112 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: no way, Yes, So we had a similar upbringing in 113 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,479 Speaker 1: many ways. He's one of five. We didn't know each 114 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: other until high school, and we dated not only in 115 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: high school but all through college. We both went to 116 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: the University of Connecticut, go Huskies. I'm sure you've heard 117 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: of them. They're a really good basketball program. 118 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, but they're stinking football and that's what we care about. 119 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: That's actually true. 120 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 3: I know it is all right. 121 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 2: So sweet American, wonderful life. 122 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 3: Married. I think, how many kids in total do you have? 123 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: We have four children. So we got married right after 124 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: college young twenty two twenty three, and then we had 125 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: our first or oldest at twenty five, and Alex was 126 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: born when I was twenty six. My husband was twenty seven, 127 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: so we had would go on to have three kids 128 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: in four years, and Alex was our second child, and 129 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: then we had two other boys. 130 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: And what were you and Jay doing for a living? 131 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: So after we graduated from Yukon, we my husband really 132 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: wanted He had his own painting business in college that 133 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: was like pretty big, but he didn't want to do 134 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: that forever. So he decided he wanted to start his 135 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: own business, and he very smartly researched and decided that 136 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: coffee was the next big thing. This was nineteen ninety two, 137 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: and wanted to open like the first on the campus 138 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: what we called gourmet coffee cappuccino espresso back in the day. 139 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 3: And can you tell me he's a founder of Starbucks. 140 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 3: We're all leaving. 141 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: Well, no, it was called the Java Joint. And because 142 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: we were young and as you can and now I 143 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: know now as a fifty five year old, I would 144 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: be like, yeah, we can't do that. We went to 145 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: the school, we said we want to open something right 146 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: in the middle of campus said we would love that, 147 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: but we're not giving you electricity, we're not giving you water. 148 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: So we had a cart maid that was electric powered, 149 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: propane powered espresso machine, opened up shop and from day 150 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: one we loved it and the campus loved it. And 151 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: my first son was born shortly after we opened that, 152 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: and then after it was very successful. We were actually 153 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: the week Alex was diagnosed, we were having a meeting 154 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: with the owner of another shop that was in Hartford, 155 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: so we were going to open our second location, and 156 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: we ended up canceling the meeting, and ultimately because of 157 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: her diagnosis, we not only canceled and didn't open the 158 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: second shop, but we sold the Java Joint. 159 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 3: So the point is, briefly, just to establish kind of 160 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 3: who you are. You're one of nine, your husband's one 161 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 3: of five high school sweethearts. He paints, you go to college, 162 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 3: you start your life and you have a little boy, 163 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 3: and now you have a little girl. You have this 164 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 3: budding business. You're starting a wonderful kind of normal American dream, 165 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 3: but just a life, just a normal person living life. 166 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 3: And Alex comes along and you're giddy because you have 167 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 3: a second child. And at one, I think is when 168 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: the story of Alex really begins. Take us through that. 169 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: You're absolutely right, I mean we sort of we had 170 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: a vision right for what life could be at that 171 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: point with the two young kids in the growing business, 172 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: like we all do. And Alex was diagnosed two days 173 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: before her first birthday and everything changed after that. So 174 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: much good came from it, but certainly, you know, there 175 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: were many, many harder times and we ever anticipated as 176 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: parents when you have children of kind of what my happen? 177 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: That was not really something that we thought would happen. 178 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 3: A child with cancer, Tell me what it was. 179 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,559 Speaker 1: So she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, which is. 180 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 3: Originally she had a tumor. That's all you knew. Yes, 181 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 3: kind of. 182 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 2: Everybody listening and joining us needs to understand I'm asking 183 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 2: questions about ultimately the death of your daughter. So I 184 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: want to be empathetic and respectful, but I also think 185 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 2: it's really important for people to have perspective. So I 186 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 2: don't want to be pushy here, but I think it's 187 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: important that people understand the evolution of your mind as 188 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 2: a parent as well as what Alex went through, because 189 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 2: I get she had neuroblastoma, but really, your first thing 190 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 2: was my daughter has a tumor. 191 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right, that's very thank you for saying that, 192 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: because when she was first and we were told it 193 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: was a tumor, I still didn't think she had cancer. 194 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: In fact, my sister gave me a book that was 195 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: called When Your Child Has Cancer or something along those lines, 196 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: and they put us on the oncology floor and I 197 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: was not happy about it. We don't, I don't why would. 198 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 1: I don't need this book and I don't need to 199 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: be on this floor. She has a tumor, she doesn't 200 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: have cancer. So it took me a little while to 201 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: accept the fact that we were what we were dealing 202 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: with was cancer. 203 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 3: So what they have to do for this tumor. 204 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: Well, the first thing they did was they felt she 205 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: needed an immediate tumor resection. So surgery to remove the 206 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: tumor was very large in her abdomen and wrapping around 207 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: her spine, so they felt like it needed to come out. 208 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: They did that surgery the day before her first birthday. 209 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: She came out of surgery. They were doing it in 210 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: two parts, front and then back, so belly and then spine. 211 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: After the belly surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor, 212 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: she came out and they said, you know, we might 213 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: wait to do the spinal surgery now. And she was 214 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: in the ICU. It had been a long day and 215 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: they started to seem like they were concerned about something. 216 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: They asked us to leave, and a few minutes later 217 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: they came back in and told us that during removing 218 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 1: this large tumor was so large that some of her 219 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: blood vessels were in the middle of it, and her 220 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:26,319 Speaker 1: spinal cord blood flow was compromised and she was paralyzed 221 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: from the chest down, and they wanted to bring her 222 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: right back into surgery to make sure it wasn't the 223 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: spinal tumor that was causing it. So she went back 224 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: into surgery. Came out of surgery at one or two 225 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: am on her first birthday, and I just remember sitting there. 226 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 1: People had brought balloons for her and some presents for her, 227 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: and just holding her hand and thinking, this is your 228 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: child's first birthday, right, there's so much meaning in that, 229 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: and just wondering what life if she survived, what kind 230 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: of life she would have if she was going to 231 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: be paralyzed. And it was one of our lowest moments. 232 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 1: But I think really quickly she just showed me, as 233 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: she did many times in her life, that that's not 234 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: what you're thinking about in those times. Right where you're 235 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: thinking about is moving forward and getting better and enjoying 236 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: the good days. And she really did that from the 237 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: very beginning. She showed us how to do that. 238 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 2: And now a few messages from our gender sponsors, But first, 239 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: I hope you'll consider signing up to join the army 240 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 2: at normal folks dot us. By signing up, you'll receive 241 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 2: a weekly email with short episodes summaries in case you 242 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 2: happen to miss an episode, or if you prefer reading 243 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 2: about our incredible guests, we'll. 244 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 3: Be right back. 245 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 2: As a parent and my children, Alex hates when I 246 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 2: use this adjective, but I consider my children delicious. 247 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 3: I savor them, you know what I mean. 248 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 2: They're the greatest blessing in Lisa, in my life and 249 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: whenever any of our children have been sick and we 250 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 2: dealt with one that had some real problems. In that moment, 251 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: you want to be tough and strong for your kid, 252 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 2: but you're also dealing with this juxtaposition of devastation inside. 253 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 2: You balance that for me because that am I wrong? 254 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 2: Or is that you. 255 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: Are absolutely right? I remember after being told as new 256 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: and sitting with her for a minute, they had this 257 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: little room we could go into that was private, and 258 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: Jay and I were both sitting in the room, not 259 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: even able to comfort each other, just crying, you know, sobbing, sobbing, 260 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: hands on head, just spiraling. And then one of the 261 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: nurses knocked and she said, you know, we already mentioned 262 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: I have a big family. That a couple of my 263 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: sisters were there, and I literally said, I can't do this. 264 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: I can't talk to anybody else right now. I can't. 265 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: I can't do it. But very quickly something inside me 266 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: just said, you know, you have to do this. You 267 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: have children depending on you, right you can't sit in 268 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: here and feel sorry. You have to get out there 269 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: and do the things that you need to do as 270 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: a mom, and opened that door, honestly, and never really 271 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: looked back to that moment except to say that I'm 272 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: glad something inside of me told me just to stop, 273 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: get out there and do what you need to do. 274 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 2: As we unfold the rest of the story. The reason 275 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: I wanted to hear that from you, which you and 276 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 2: I've never met her talked ever before. Now, I had 277 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 2: a sense that that's what you'd say. And I think 278 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 2: it's important because these years later, as we celebrate this 279 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 2: amazing organization and all that you've done, and we see this, 280 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 2: you said it, so I'm allowed to do it now, 281 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 2: a fifty five year old woman who's raised a family, 282 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 2: and we celebrate all of this. I think it's really 283 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 2: important that we're cognizant of and remember the trauma and 284 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 2: the tragedy and the pain and then the strength to 285 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 2: overcome it. 286 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 3: Normal folks experience that. Normal people. 287 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 2: We have moneys, family problems, sick people, we have marital problems, 288 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 2: we have financial issues, we have all this crap that 289 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,439 Speaker 2: heaps up on us and beats us up in life. 290 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 2: And the beauty of an army of normal folks is 291 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 2: people who overcome that and do things not because they're 292 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 2: bequeathed with this great opportunity, but despite what they're faced with, 293 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 2: and that strength is what's inspiring. And I just want 294 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: to remind everybody this is born from a family who 295 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 2: were devastated by one year old dying child. And certainly 296 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 2: there's a lot to celebrate, and we're going to get 297 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 2: to that, but if we lose fact of the true 298 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,399 Speaker 2: obstacles and the true trauma of this, I think we 299 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 2: diminish the beauty of a success. 300 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 3: Makes sense, it. 301 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: Makes a lot of sense, and I really appreciate you 302 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: saying that because I often feel that the hardship that 303 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: Alex went through pretty much her entire life is easily 304 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: overlooked because of the incredible inspiration that she left us, 305 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: and even the stories I tell, which are very inspiring 306 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: about her, behind those stories was the fact that she 307 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: had this strength and she had this perspective because of 308 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: what happened to her in her life, and her life 309 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: was really, really hard. 310 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: So you're left with a child who is now possibly 311 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 2: paralyzed one year old, and she grows tell us about it. 312 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: So as far as the paralysis goes, within a few 313 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: weeks she started showing signs of being able to move 314 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: her legs when we asked her to and started physical therapy, 315 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: and without spending too much time on that whole story, 316 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: eventually she really she screamed and fussed through every physical 317 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: therapy session, but she did what she needed to do. 318 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: Her goal was to be able to walk without leg braces, 319 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: and she eventually did it. She could kind of walk 320 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: across the room with touch points, and that was alone 321 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: was an incredible accomplishment because she was still considered pretty 322 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: significantly paralyzed and had no sensation in her legs. She 323 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: also went on to so when a child is diagnosed 324 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: with cancer, there's a protocol typically unless it's super rare, 325 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: and the protocol is designed to be the same at 326 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: pretty much every institution that's treating your child, and it's 327 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: designed to get your child to a cure ultimately, hopefully 328 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: except for those unfortunate rare ones where there's no cure still, 329 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: and in her case, there was a path to a cure, 330 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 1: and we we started down that path, which included surgery, chemotherapy, 331 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 1: Radiation therapy had a lot of stops and starts because 332 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: it would work and then stop working. So we were 333 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: seeing making second opinions and third opinions with in collaboration 334 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: with our doctor in Hartford. We were in Hartford still 335 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: at the time, after three plus years of treatment, we 336 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: all of our second and third opinions agreed that there 337 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: really wasn't much anything left to try for her. She 338 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: was three going on four and we were told she 339 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: was incurable and we were out of options known options. 340 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: So that's when again another moment where we had to 341 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 1: face this reality. 342 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 3: That's a good shot. 343 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: It was, it was, It was. It was even harder 344 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: than the diagnosis because when she was diagnosed, you have 345 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: this hope that she's going to get better. You know, 346 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: you're going through this treatment with the idea that your 347 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: child is going to be cured and you can picture 348 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: them in ten years or twenty years, or you know, 349 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: at their wedding or whatever, you know, whatever it is 350 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: you dream about for your children as they grow. But 351 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: once you hear incurable, all of those things are taken 352 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: away immediately. 353 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 2: I'm trying to put myself in your shoes, and I 354 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 2: guess my my reaction as a father would be, well, 355 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 2: first question, how long do we have? And second thing 356 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 2: is what are we going to do to make the 357 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 2: best of that time? 358 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 3: Is that what you do. 359 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: More or less. I mean, our thought was along the 360 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: lines of how much time. We felt like there were 361 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: stones left unturned, and we weren't ready to just take one, two, 362 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 1: three opinions and assume that that was the right path. 363 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 1: And the biggest reason we did that because that is 364 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: a path and sometimes parents have to make that decision, 365 00:21:55,880 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: is because she was doing pretty well on her good 366 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: days when she felt good. The cancer in her bones, 367 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 1: which is what the problem was at this point, was 368 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: causing her so much pain that we felt like not 369 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: treating her would only make that worse. So the days, 370 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 1: however long, she had, would not be good quality time. 371 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 1: So we started approaching different places to find out if 372 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: they had something that could help her. And that was 373 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: probably the words we use. We didn't ask for a cure. 374 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: We knew that no one was going to promise that, 375 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: but we wanted her to have a treatment that was 376 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: different than what she had and something that could maybe 377 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: give her good quality time and relieve her pain. And 378 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: that is literally what we found with a doctor in Philadelphia, 379 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: which honestly has led to so much, including her lemonade stand. 380 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: That's the power we learned A. 381 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 3: Voice y'all just said okay and moved to Philly. 382 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we didn't move right away. We traveled to 383 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: Philadelphia for a consul. This was incredibly exciting. It was 384 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,479 Speaker 1: a targeted therapy back in nineteen ninety nine, which was 385 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 1: kind of a buzzword then but not necessarily reality, something 386 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: that her tumors would soak up, but had far less 387 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: toxicity than chemotherapy and everything she had been through. He 388 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: really felt like it would help Herry. He had given 389 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,479 Speaker 1: it to one child before. So we traveled here with 390 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: so much hope, but at the same time, you know, 391 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: you always guard yourself from having too much hope because 392 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: so much had disappointed. And she came out of that 393 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: hospital room. She was in isolation for three days. Essentially 394 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 1: we could go in and out, but not for extended 395 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: periods because she herself was radioactive from this treatment. She 396 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: came out of that treatment all smiles and she said 397 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: that treatment worked. Let's go shopping because that was her 398 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: fun thing to do when she valcated something. Yes, and 399 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: we went shopping for a Christmas dress. And that was 400 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: also like very symbolic because sort of dreading the upcoming holidays. 401 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: Now we had this child who said, I feel good, 402 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: Let's go get a Christmas dress. And we went back 403 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: to Connecticut, and we continued to travel back and forth 404 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: to Philadelphia, with our home hospital still being Connecticut coordinating things. 405 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: But after a year of doing that and me, after 406 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: a long day at the hospital, deciding we should just 407 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: drive home, getting on the Garden State Parkway South, which 408 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,719 Speaker 1: might not mean much to anybody here unless they've been 409 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: on the Garden State Parkway, not realizing I was going 410 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: the wrong way because I was very distracted, until two 411 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 1: hours later when we were like almost in Cape May 412 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: and then turning around and having to drive six hours home, 413 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: got home, and we said, this isn't working for us anymore. 414 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: My son was in first grade. He liked to come 415 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: with us. We were getting a notice from the school 416 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: that he had missed too much school because we kept 417 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: pulling him out to travel. My husband had a commissioned 418 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: sales job in Connecticut, which was great, but he needed 419 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: to work to make money. A lot of things weren't 420 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: working for us, except for the fact that we had 421 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: this amazing support system. And then one day his boss said, 422 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: how would you like to transfer to Philadelphia, which was 423 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: he was selling medical books which was a bigger tear. 424 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: It was less overnight travel, and essentially he would it 425 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: would be a great opportunity, and we felt like we 426 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: couldn't say no to that. It was a place we 427 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: wanted to be for our child and for our family, 428 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: so we jumped at the chance. But it was a 429 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: very very hard move. 430 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 3: We'll be right back. 431 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 2: So now you're in Philly, you have some hope that 432 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 2: at least there's some quality of life, even though that's 433 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 2: not a change that sets the stage for this kid 434 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,360 Speaker 2: wearing you out and irritating you about wanting to start. 435 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 3: A limonade stance. Yes, and that's kind of the beginning. 436 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: It is the beginning. In fact, a lot of people 437 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,439 Speaker 1: don't know this. Her first stand started in Connecticut. So 438 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: after we came to Philadelphia in that treatment worked, she 439 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: about a month later started talking about having a lemonade standing, which. 440 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 3: Was actually irritating. 441 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: Well, it wasn't so much irritating as yeah, maybe a 442 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: little pestering. So the first time she mentioned it, she 443 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: was still pretty sick. She was in the hospital for 444 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: an extended stay for another therapy, and I just said, 445 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,879 Speaker 1: as we all do when you have especially when you 446 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: have many children. You know, you put them off sometimes 447 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: when it's not something that's important to you. And it 448 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: was January in Connecticut, so I said, oh, sure, we 449 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: can have a lemonade stand when you get out of 450 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: the hospital, when it gets warmer. But then she would 451 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: ask every month, and then. 452 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 3: Nobody January is going to be on the street. 453 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: And then she persisted for about six months, persisted, and yes, 454 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: I would say, at times I was a little felt 455 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: pestered by the lemonade stand talk. So finally, one day 456 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 1: in June of two thousand, she was four and a half. 457 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 1: She was doing pretty well because of the response she 458 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: had to this. She still had cancer, but ed reduced 459 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: it a lot. She was feeling good. She said, we 460 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: still haven't had my lemonade stand. And now it's hot out. 461 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 1: So she would not like the Memphis heat. She did 462 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: not tolerate heat very well. And now it's too hot. 463 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 1: It's hot out. And I said, Alex, what do you 464 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: want to buy? So badly thinking let's skip the stand 465 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 1: and we'll go buy go to this store, get the 466 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: ten dollars toy and just call it a day. And 467 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: she said, I'm not keeping the money. I'm giving it 468 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: to my doctor, so they can help kids the way 469 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: they helped me. And that's why I believe at four 470 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: and a half it was born out of that brand. 471 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: We told her it was a brand new treatment that 472 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: helped her and made her feel better, and she wanted 473 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 1: other kids to have that same opportunity. And yes, she 474 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: was only four and a half. 475 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 2: That in and of a self is extraordinary. 476 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: It really is. And you know, her older brother was 477 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: similar she was. She was always sort of beyond her years. 478 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: So with the two of them, it it wasn't Actually 479 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: it was cute to me, and I was surprised, but 480 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: it wasn't surprising that Alex would come up with that. 481 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: But then when I had my two other boys, and 482 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: I don't know if they're gonna listen to this. Really 483 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: they were just normal four year olds, I'm gonna say. 484 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: But one day my husband and I, when one of 485 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: them was four, was like watching them play and they 486 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: were like being in something on the wall and then 487 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: like trying to hit their head on the wall maybe 488 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: to see if it felt different. And he was like, 489 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: this is the age she was when she started her lemonade. 490 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 3: Stand and now we have to meet heads. 491 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: But they were more I realized and that that was 492 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: more typical than she was. But she didn't have a 493 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 1: typical life to that point. And I would say my 494 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: older son also did not, because he grew up with this. 495 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 2: So you warned her, Okay, fine, Alex, that's sweet because 496 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 2: you're being sweet and everything, will have this stupid lemonade stand. 497 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: I didn't say it was stupid. 498 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 2: Well i'm my words, and I didn't think it was 499 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 2: sack and well you're gonna make ten twenty bucks, just 500 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 2: be prepared. 501 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: Yes, So I did think right, I didn't think it 502 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 1: was it was stupid. I did think it was really 503 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: sweet and it was adorable. That was my main thought 504 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: was just keep in mind this was two thousand kids 505 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: weren't doing lemonade stands for charity. I think that's part 506 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 1: of why people gravitated to this idea. This was this 507 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: was something Alex helped create for kids, and kids do 508 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: lemonade stands, not just for us, but for all kinds 509 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: of causes now so, but mostly I thought, this is 510 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,239 Speaker 1: so Alex. She thinks she's going to cure cancer with 511 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: a lemonade stand. Isn't that adorable? And I called my sister, 512 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: one of my sisters who also has four kids, and said, 513 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: you know, can you what do you do on Saturday? 514 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: Can you come by Alex. It's having a lemonade stand. 515 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm afraid no one's going to show up. And she's 516 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: really excited about it. And as we were hanging up, 517 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: I said, oh, by the way, she's donating the money 518 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: to the hospital, and she said, you're kidding me and 519 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: I said no, like sort of like, isn't that so Alex? 520 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: She said, I'm going to call the newspaper and I 521 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: thought that was the funniest thing. I was like, no 522 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: one's going to care about her lemonade stand, and she said, oh, 523 00:29:58,240 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: you know in the. 524 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 2: South, what we say about people that have these grandiose 525 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,479 Speaker 2: ideas that are obviously ridiculous, what bless their hearts? 526 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,239 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly, bless her heart. She's going to hear her 527 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: cancer with lemonade. 528 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 3: Exactly, it's precious. Would bless her heart? 529 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: And I even you know, thought it. So we were 530 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: all about it, right, So we immediately set up that weekend. 531 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: My sister ended up calling the paper and she was right. 532 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: They did care. They did a little and you know, 533 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: you have like back when we had printed newspapers, and 534 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: everybody read them. The local section that's like two year 535 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: geographical part of the city. They printed something right on 536 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,480 Speaker 1: the front of that about the little girl having a 537 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,719 Speaker 1: lemonade stand and donating the money. And even then we 538 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 1: weren't necessarily anticipating that people would come out who we 539 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 1: didn't know. But that morning she she knew, she knew 540 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: so the night before, of course, she had to get 541 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: a new lemonade outfit. The night before, she went to 542 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: bed in her lemonade clothes because she said, I think 543 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: it's going to be really busy, and I want to 544 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: be up early and ready. So her and her brother, 545 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: and also keep in mind she was still not a 546 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: steady walker, but her and her brother got up early 547 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 1: the next morning. 548 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's let's keep in mind. This is a girl 549 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: who's got no failing in her legs. Yes and treatments 550 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 2: four and a half. Yes, get you ready for a lemonade? 551 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 3: She gets. 552 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: So. 553 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 2: Any of you that can't get up for work on 554 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 2: time or school on time, George, if you can't get 555 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 2: up for school on time, you remember that. 556 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 3: Okay, she got up early, Say yes, sir, thank you, 557 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 3: go ahead, George. Is Alex's kid, he's. 558 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: I think George is an early riser. I bet George. 559 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 3: Loves to get all right, So here she is, she's 560 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 3: going to be. 561 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: She gets up early, you know, gets us out of 562 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: bed early. She's got to make the lemonade. Wouldn't you 563 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: know it? By seven am, somebody's knocking on the door saying, 564 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: I know it doesn't start until later, but I'm going 565 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: out of town and I had to meet you and 566 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 1: give you my donation. And it was NonStop. I think 567 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: my husband must have gone out for lemonade. I don't 568 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: know how many times that day because we kept running out. 569 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,959 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, I honestly thought it 570 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 1: was too much for her. A lot of people don't 571 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: realize this about her, but she didn't like attention like that. 572 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: It wasn't about her. It almost embarrassed her. George can 573 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: probably relate to this. Made her a little uncomfortable that 574 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: people were talking about her and asking her for things. 575 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: And she was very gracious as a four year old, 576 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: as gracious as a four year old can be beyond. 577 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: But at the end, and it was hot, so I 578 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:28,479 Speaker 1: kept thinking how she'd been saying it was too hot, 579 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, I said, what 580 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: did you think, Alex, thinking this may have been too 581 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: much for her, and she said it was the best 582 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: thing that ever happened to me. She had raised two 583 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, and I remember feeling like I was going 584 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: to cry because I knew then that for all of 585 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: my sort of not mocking but joking about the lemonade 586 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: stand that's going to cure cancer, it really meant something 587 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: to her. It really meant something to her, so much 588 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: so that after we moved to Philadelphia she starts talking 589 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:00,240 Speaker 1: about having a lemonade sand again. 590 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 2: So Alex passed at eight years and a couple months. 591 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: Old, Yes, eight and a half, eight and a half. 592 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 2: And incidentally, everybody, it's July. I'm not supposed to timestamp 593 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 2: because Alex back there gets mad at me about time 594 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 2: stamping Alex the producer. Oh incidentally, if anybody ever gets 595 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,960 Speaker 2: involved in something we have a producer, you will find 596 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 2: out that producers are pains in the butt. Everybody else 597 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 2: likes them, but if you're my shoes. So anyway, I'm 598 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 2: time stamping this for everybody. Today is July thirtieth. Alex 599 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 2: died in August first, so we are two days from 600 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 2: the anniversary of Alex's passing, Yes, and from that four 601 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 2: and a half year old, pestering bless her heart, four 602 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 2: and a half year old little girl until the day 603 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 2: of her passing, this child raised a million. 604 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: Dollars she would have an annual lemonade stand. More and 605 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: more people heard about it. It became like a news 606 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: national news story, and it really lit a fire in her. 607 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: And honestly, as she got sicker in two thousand and four, 608 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: we weren't talking about lemonade. We knew if she made 609 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,840 Speaker 1: it to her stand in June that it would be 610 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: her last stand. And she decided she was going to 611 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: raise a million dollars that year before she passed away. 612 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: And once again I thought I was sad because I 613 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: thought this, there's no way she's going to raise a 614 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: million dollars in this amazing thing. The thing that ever 615 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: marked yeah, not even so much bless her Heart, as 616 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: this incredible thing that she's accomplished is now going to 617 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: be disappointing because she's not going to reach that ultimate goal. 618 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: But when she was asked, she said, if everyone has 619 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: lemonade stands, I think we can do it. And it 620 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: became this amazing call to action, and that turned into 621 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 1: a movement of lemonade stands, all happening at the same 622 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: time to help her reach her goal. And by the 623 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,360 Speaker 1: middle of July we were able to tell her she 624 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: would reach her goal, and she passed away not even 625 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: two weeks later. So she was obviously holding on to 626 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: see that goal met, and she was very determined that 627 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 1: things were going to be different for kids after her 628 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: than they were for her, into a certain level of stubbornness, 629 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: and I would say, almost like a fixation on meeting 630 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 1: this goal. Even when we were saying things like you're 631 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: too sick to travel to do that interview, It's okay 632 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: if you don't go to the stand, you don't have 633 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: to do this, she would just shut it down and 634 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: say I have to do this. 635 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,720 Speaker 2: And that concludes part one of my conversation with Liz Scott, 636 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 2: and you don't want to miss part two that now I'm. 637 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 3: Able to listen to. 638 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 2: Together, guys, we can change this country and it starts 639 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 2: with you. I'll see you in part two.