Lemonade Stands to Help Oxford Boy, 7, Recently Diagnosed With Cancer

When life hands you lemons…Well, you know the rest.

People in Oxford are not only making the best of an unfortunate situation, they are literally making lemonade throughout town on Thursday and selling it to help a 7-year-old local boy recently diagnosed with cancer.

James Haefele, who will be in second grade this fall at , was diagnosed weeks ago with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor of the muscles that are attached to the bones. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

A tumor on James’ right shin bone was noticed when he began having pain following a karate lesson at the end of June. His mother, Kelly Donohue, was supposed to be taking James and his 9-year-old sister, Madeline, to an amusement park the next day but told James he could go only if his leg felt better. When James said he probably couldn’t make the trip, Donohue knew something was wrong. She took him to the doctor, where doctors delivered the unexpected news.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue tumor in children, according to the website for the US National Library of Medicine. While aggressive treatment is usually necessary, most children with this form of cancer will achieve long-term survival, according to the website.

James will undergo roughly one year of intensive treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation, Donohue said.

“I’m the type of person whose glass is always half full, so I’m looking at this as a year of our life that will be a setback but it will be done in a year and we’ll be back to normal,” she said.

In an effort to help the single mother of two maintain a sense of normalcy, several women in the community have donated meals to Donohue and her children. And James’ many friends in the community are getting involved through the lemonade stands. 

“The people in this community have been unbelievable,” Donohue said. “They are just incredible.”

Several local children, with assistance from their parents, have organized a day of town-wide lemonade stands to raise money for their schoolmate and friend.

A flyer that went around about their effort states, “To show their love and support for James, the children will be pouring with a purpose this Thursday, Aug. 2, to help the family offset the ancillary costs of his treatment. There are currently seven "LEMONADE STANDS FOR JAMES" in the works. They will be held at:

• Larkey Road/Eames Drrive from 4 to 6 p.m.
• The corner of Oak Glen Hill and Chestnut Tree Hill Road Ext. from 4 to 6 p.m.
• 44 Pisgah Road (the corner of Sarah and Pisgah) from 4 to 6 p.m.
• 257 Chestnut Tree Hill Rd, 4 to 6 p.m.
• 2 Evergreen Lane, 4 to 6 p.m.
• Tommy K's Plaza on Route 67 (by Oxford Floor Covering),  afternoon/evening
• Patty's Pantry on Route 188 in Southbury from 4 to 6 p.m.

"James' friends are very excited about this and hope the community will come out in full force, to help make a difference for James and his family," said Jennifer Mahmood, a parent organizer and friend of Donohue's. 

Anyone who has questions about the event, or wants to donate, can contact Mahmood at jcmahmood@gmail.com or 203.530.5734.