Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand raises money for cystic fibrosis research

Eleven-year-old Cassidy Evans sold lemonade to raise money for cystic fibrosis research this weekend.

She was diagnosed with the terminal illness at four years old. A few months later, she started Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand.

Her family’s travelling white van pulled into Kinsman Park in Saskatoon on Saturday for the Child Find fundraising event.

Her mother, Kimberly, said the lemonade stand is a great way for Cassidy to cope with her disease.

“Through this lemonade truck, and the way we try to just stay positive about it, this has been a piece of encouragement for her,” she said.

Kimberly said dealing with Cassidy’s illness while raising money to fight it offers a unique perspective.

“Being able to actively participate, and seeing the cause and effect that the money that we raise —  and the awareness that we bring — is actually changing lives,” she said. “That, for me, is all that I can hope for.”

Cassidy has to spend hours daily in the hospital and takes more than 20 pills a day for treatment. She and her mother agreed that it’s a difficult lifestyle to keep up with.

“It has affected my life and my family’s life. It has been very different that I have cystic fibrosis than if I didn’t have it,” Cassidy said.

“This is worst case scenario to have their child diagnosed (with) a fatal illness,” Kimberly added.

Over the last six years, Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand has raised over $75,000 for cystic fibrosis research.