When I was just 2 ½ years old, I was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord tumor. After two surgeries, part of the tumor remained, and the treatment choices my family faced were devastating: radiation risked lifelong damage, and full removal could have left me paralyzed. Instead, I underwent 12 months of chemotherapy regimen. Against the odds, I’ve now been nearly 20 years in remission.

In response to my diagnosis, my family founded Malia’s CORD Foundation to accelerate research for safer treatments. Years later, the CORD Fund dissolved so it could live on as part of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, becoming the ALSF CORD Fund. That partnership continues to fuel the research that gives other kids the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.

I once faced a future where walking might not have been possible, and now running is part of who I am. On October 12, every mile I run will be for the children and families still fighting, and for the research that makes stories like mine possible.

Join me in supporting this mission by helping fund lifesaving research through Team Lemon. Together, we can turn awareness into action and hope into cures and bright futures. 💛