A young girl from Ajax is in the fight of her life right now as she tries to beat cancer — again.
The community is rallying behind her. Among them, two little girls who are determined to show what the power of compassion — and lemonade — can do.
Kseniya Amiri is five years old and full of energy. Watching her run around the park, you wouldn’t know that she’s fighting stage three cancer.
But rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive, highly-malignant form of cancer that develops from skeletal muscle cells that have failed to fully differentiate.
“She was first diagnosed when she was three. It was a long battle, about a year in treatment, and then we were successful,” said Anita Liburd, Kseniya’s mom.
“We had a good prognosis; we were happy. Just shy of a year we had gotten the news of her relapse.”
Kseniya has a tumour in her back, in a similar location to the first one, but this one has spread.
But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And that’s exactly what cousins, four-year-old Alma Fulton and two-year-old Serena Mathison decided to do — sell lemonade in support of Kseniya.
“We’re doing a lemonade stand for Serena’s friend that’s at her daycare who has cancer,” said Fulton.
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It might seem like a sweet little gesture, but it’s a lesson that their mothers know will last a lifetime.
“To be able to watch the excitement on their faces and to see them be as excited as they are to give the lemonade out and to know what they’re doing, that they are doing something good for someone else, it’s a very proud moment for me as a mom,” said Sheri Chapman, Alma’s mom.
“I just wanted my daughter to know that there’s more to life than just our family. There’s other people out there that need help, and when you can help, you should do whatever you can to help because you never know when it could come back and you need help one day,” said Crystal Chapman.
The duo served as much lemonade as their attention spans would allow.
In the end, almost $160 from their lemonade stand will be going towards a GoFundMe that’s been set up for Kseniya and her family to cover expenses for her medical treatment.
“I don’t know who these girls are, but I love them and I’m so thankful for the support. Their mom’s helping them out; I’m not surprised as well, I’ve had mothers that I don’t know that have come and said can I get a hug, can I give you a hug,” said Liburd.
Kseniya and her family will be embarking on a two-month medical trip to Cincinnati at the end of August, with the hope that when they return she will be free of cancer.ousins