August 23, 2016
Five-year-old Lyla Jackson, left, and her sister Maya, 7, set up their lemonade stand in Edmonton for Lemonade Stand Day on Aug. 21. The girls raised money for Stollery Kids’ music therapy program at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
Story by Kerri Robins; photo courtesy Lisa Jackson
EDMONTON — Some thirst-pleasin’ squeezin’ took place across the city here last Sunday as kids set up more than 136 lemonade stands to raise money for Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Two of the citrus-minded entrepreneurs who set up a stand were Maya Jackson, 7, and her little sister, Lyla, 5.
“Maya spent a couple of weeks in the hospital — and it was overwhelming, the excellent care she received,” says her mom Lisa Jackson.
“The support we received through the Child Life Program at the Stollery Children’s hospital made sure Maya was coping emotional and psychologically.”
Maya’s ordeal began during a family ski trip to Invermere, B.C. last February when she fell ill and was rushed to emergency. “She had fluid in her lungs and had to be transferred to the Alberta Children’s Hospital where two chest tubes were inserted in her right lung to drain the fluid,” adds Lisa.
After 10 days, Maya was transferred to the Stollery Children’s Hospital. There, she underwent surgery to remove two thirds of her right lung after a suspected bacterial infection took over. “It was a crazy time for us and a lifetime of heartache in the month she spent between both hospitals,” says the Edmonton mom.
It’s for kids like Maya that Simply Supper Helps has partnered with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, in the third annual Lemonade Stand Day. To date, it’s raised more than $26,000 over the last two years.
The funds support the Music Therapy Program, which is part of the Child Life Department at the hospital.
“Its challenging being in the hospital at the best of times,” says Music Therapist Jenny Plume, “and in this setting, music therapy provides an opportunity for children to have access to this familiar and natural medium in order to work through physical, behavioural and/or emotional challenges.
“Interventions such as singing, playing instruments, songwriting and music-assisted relaxation help kids work through anxiety, pain, procedures and prolonged hospitalizations," adds Plume.
The program, launched in 2011, uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of children of all ages. Music offers children a chance to create and bring that which is inside to the outside, providing a positive memory to their hospital experience. By helping kids, music therapists also bring families together in harmony, or create some levity, during difficult times.
Children with a variety of medical challenges take part in the program. Some of the conditions may be due to premature births. Other children may be there for oncology treatments, organ transplants or due to trauma from accidents. Some of the children are cognitively delayed, living full-time at the hospital.
“Music is great medicine for all of us,” says Plume. “I’ve watched it bring down the numbers on a heart monitor, decrease the perception of pain — and I’ve heard a rapid breath sound decrease to a slow and steady rhythm with the accompaniment of a guitar strum or soft drum beat.”
Monita Chapman, the owner of Simply Supper — who also founded Simply Supper Helps, its charitable wing — says she started the event with a mindset to develop future philanthropists.
“It’s ‘fun-raising’ by kids for kids,” says Chapman. “I want to encourage our little ones to help sick kids, and give them experience working in the fundraising environment, teamwork, and simply contributing to their community.”
For the lemonade stands, Simply Supper Helps supplied the lemonade mix, cups and a full kit of decorations, making it easy for kids to host their stand.
Summer isn’t really summer without a lemonade stand on the corner, and Mike House, President and CEO of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, says he’s thrilled to see young people participate in fundraising.
“Kids giving to kids is one of the greatest things I see happening in fundraising today,” says House. “Lemonade Stand Day is something that most every child can get behind and have fun with, and in doing so help more kids at the Stollery get the expert care they need and deserve.”
House adds he’s grateful for the support of Simply Supper Helps — and is excited to see the program grow in future years.
And while Maya didn’t participate in the music program specifically, when she was in hospital, she couldn’t wait to sell lemonade to help the Stollery Kids who are.
“She’s doing great now — and you wouldn’t even know that she’s had to have part of her lung removed,” says her mom Lisa, so happy to that her healthy and energetic little girl is back.
For more information, please visit www.stollerykids.com, or www.simplysupperhelps.ca.
