3-Time Cancer Survivor In Lacey To Hold Lemonade Stand Fundraiser

LACEY, NJ — At only 11-years-old, Reese Osmond has gone through cancer treatment three times in her young life. In remission for over a year now, she's giving back by hosting a lemonade stand to help more kids who are affected by cancer.

On June 25, Reese will hold a lemonade stand fundraiser at her Forked River home to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which funds research for childhood cancer, her mother, Jordyn Osmond, told Patch.

This is Reese's fourth lemonade stand, Osmond said. Her first was in 2014, when she was 3. She had two more in 2018 and 2019. During this time, Reese has raised more than $5,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand, Osmond said.

Reese was first diagnosed with cancer when she was only two-and-a-half, when she was taken to the emergency room with swollen lymph nodes, Osmond said. Reese was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is the most common form of childhood cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

"Over the next 2.5 years she underwent chemotherapy, spinal taps and many hospital stays and ambulance rides," Osmond said. Reese ended treatment in May 2016, right after she turned 5.

In Dec. 2017, Reese's cancer came back. She went through another two years of intense treatments until she was declared cancer free in 2019.

"She remained cancer free for over a year and then when she was 9, she relapsed for the third time," Osmond said. This time, the family opted to do Car T treatments, where Reese's T cells were collected, genetically engineered and infused back into her, Osmond said. Reese also went through more chemotherapy and high dose steroids.

During this time, Reese and her father relocated to Philly for five weeks while Osmond stayed in NJ with her other daughter, she said.

Now, Reese is in remission for a third time for over a year, and she is "so excited" to finally have another lemonade stand, her mother said.

This year, Reese's goal is to raise $2,000, which funds four days of research, Osmond said.

"Childhood cancer is unfortunately vastly underfunded and kids need safer, less toxic treatments which is why Reese has her lemonade stand, to help herself and others to find less toxic treatments," Osmond said.

Reese will hold her lemonade stand on June 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at her home located at 410 Carr St in Forked River. For more information and how to help, visit her Alex's Lemonade Stand page.