Girl, 8, who opened lemonade stand for St. Jude while battling leukemia is now cancer free

ABINGDON, Va. - A mother from Virginia can rest easy knowing her 8-year-old daughter triumphed over cancer, all while raising $5,807.15 on her own for St. Jude from a lemonade stand she opened.

Ellee Large’s mother posted frequent updates on the status of her daughter’s battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which she was diagnosed with in January 2017.

Ellee’s mom posted her latest update Sept. 18, sharing that her daughter was officially cancer free.

“The sweetest words my ears have heard!! MRD negative!! (no cancer) God is so good and to Him we give all glory and praise for Ellee’s health!!” wrote Ellee’s mom, Shauna Large.

Ellee had gone though her last six months of chemo in July, but her journey quickly captured hearts when she originally received her diagnosis, helping raise thousands for St. Jude by people they call “Ellee’s Army.”

“Last year, through the giant faith of a special little girl and the very generous donations of so many of you, Ellee’s Army was able to raise over $20,000 for St Jude!!” Ellee’s mom wrote on Facebook.

In a video on St. Jude’s website highlighting Ellee’s story, her mom said they would get mail from people all over sending love and support throughout Ellee’s treatment. A trip to the mail room quickly became a tradition for Ellee, which helped her pass the time in between treatments so that she could practice her reading while in the hospital, according to St. Jude.

Ellee wanted to give back, so she decided to set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the organization nearly a month before getting the news that she was cancer free.

With so many thousands of people already following Ellee’s journey to recovery, it was no surprise that so many strangers, along with local businesses in her community, came to support the small pop-up to help raise money for others that share Ellee’s journey.

“The outpouring of support and generosity from friends, family, and the entire community was overwhelming!!” Wrote Ellee’s mom. “Strangers became friends and the selfless giving of so many was inspiring. Raising $5,807.15 for St. Jude was absolutely amazing, and when the total was announced we were all moved to tears.”

Ellee’s mom had nothing but praise and gratitude to share with all the people who supported her daughter through a battle that lasted nearly two years and 10 months.

“God is so good and to Him we give all glory and praise for Ellee’s health!! God has blessed us with supportive family and friends and access to the best hospital in the world for our Ellee bean,” she wrote.
 

This story was reported from Los Angeles.