NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — There’s something sweet about a lemonade stand. “I think it’s like nostalgic, you know,” said Nikysha Noris.
She and her sons were setting up a stand outside Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters on Friday morning. They were taking part in the annual LemonAid fundraiser for the cancer and blood disorders clinic there.
“My mom makes it really sweet,” Xavier said, after gulping his second cup in 10 minutes.
He was just a baby when the family started participating in the fundraiser in 2015. Little did they know then how truly bittersweet it would become.
“That moment hearing the doctor say ‘your son has cancer’, my world completely changed that day; it literally stopped,” Nikysha recalled.
Xavier was diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 7.
“It felt kind of not good because I felt a little bit sick and stuff and I didn’t like it,” he told WAVY.
He had a Wilms tumor removed and received chemo treatments at CHKD. “I especially love the nurses, because they’re so nice and they treat me like I’m their child,” he told WAVY.
Anthem provided bags full of supplies, including lemonade mix, cups and sticker for volunteers like Ashley McDermott, who said, “I’m setting up a LemonAid stand and also a bake sale tomorrow in South Mills, North Carolina.”
Money raised will help kids like Xavier and their families afford medication and so much more.
“I just want to hug every person like — thank youuuu!” Nykisha squealed.
Xavier is now cancer free, but still gets scans every three months. “It’s kind of scary cause I think the cancer is going to come back.”
Chances are good his cancer wont’ return which is one more reason to raise a glass
this weekend.
If you don’t see a stand and would like to donate click here.