our Story
Optimists. Dreamers. Hopeful. Glass completely full... Yup. That was us.
Until the glass shattered. And the water spilled. And it drowned our hopes & dreams for our children with two terrible words: CYSTIC FIBROSIS! Callie was diagnosed at just 8 days old, followed by our older kids being tested & stamped with a giant question mark, because they too, could have "CF." Some of the first words I ever read about it: "A Salty baby is bewitched and will surely die..."
[Life Gave Lemons] and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. We hate lemons. We hate CF. Now what...?!
Our days now filled with breathing treatments, airway clearance therapy, medications, hospital visits, feeding tubes, surgeries, & sterilizing medical equipment allowed the darkness to swirl and consumed our every thought. Life felt hopeless... after all... this disease is progressive and will only get worse, more time consuming and heart wrenching, and ultimately claim our littles lives far too soon.
So now overflowing with lemons...the only thing we could do is make some lemonade...We hate to be wasteful. ;)
We all figured out a groove that worked, and how to squeeze in a few hours a day of treatments. We learned the disease. We cried ALOT, but somewhere along the way something else happened. EMPATHY. CONNECTION. APPRECIATION. PURPOSE. HOPE.
And then one day, when Callie was just 6 months old--- the very first [Life Gave Lemons] Lemonade stand.
Zach (6) & Tess (5) set up their table out front- "But lets make it free, because more people will come! THEN, we can have a can with Callies picture on it (like the gas stations), and if people want to give money, we will give it to the Doctors to help find a cure!" Each customer approached and Zach would announce "My sister needs help! Do you wanna give her money?!" We giggled at his words, and shared more with each passerby. We raised $60 in one hour that day and donated it to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We were so proud, because in our small way, we had helped!
Empowered by the opportunity to be part of the greater good, we continued to set up our humble stand; fundraising for the CFF, Make A Wish Foundation, & several other local charities. It didn't matter to us what cause we were supporting, THEY ALL MATTER!! All lemonade by donation, & every cent went to the cause we were at!
In addition, Angela (Mom); having formally owned {Never Nola} a girls fashion line, wanted to dive back into that space in a way that made a difference for many, not just those with CF. Our graphic tee designs are inspired by an individual (and we will have their stories on here soon!) and are a collaborative with the kids, mom, & designer, to truly encompass feeling like a warrior, and playfully having fun while we create awareness for many! In addition, each shirt sold, a portion is donated to the cause it rallies for.
It is our dream to see [Life Gave Lemons] stands being run by families, across the country. Fundraising for the causes that matter to them. Being part of a greater good, and teaching the next generation, that kindness really is the new cool. (more on this coming soon...)
If you are interested in collaborating with us, having us join your cause, setting up your own stand, you name it: please reach out!
We will leave you with this: The thing that drives us all day long: If our children will get less years to live, then we better LIVE HARD & MEANINGFUL, filled with more purpose & greater love!
We invite you to join our adventures on social media as we aim to live it up & be #thelemonademakers , all while toting a ridiculous amount of medical equipment and medicines along the way... because we can all do hard things right?! Plus lugging all of it will surely make us super swole' . You may even catch us in a kitchen dance party or two...
Screw the spilt glass... we plan to fill it with an endless pour of lemonade every day of our lives.
Facebook: Life Gave Lemons
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Twitter: Life.Gave.Lemons
To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis visit www.CFF.org
