A PURPOSE DRIVEN LEMONADE STAND!
Our Back Story from Mom
My Name is Kenyea, Mommy of Kennedi (Lil Sis), and God Mommy of Dana (Big Sis).
On July 26, 2021, our lives changed forever. Kennedi, my vibrant and joyful 22-month-old, was taken to Children’s Hospital for what we initially thought were symptoms of the common stomach virus. She had a fever, showed signs of weakness and fatigue, she had stomach pains, and was experiencing extreme vomiting. I never could have imagined the devastating news that awaited us.
After several test and medical procedures, we anxiously awaited her results. When her doctor finally came in, we heard the horrifying words that still echo in my head to this day:
“Here’s what we are looking at... your daughter is going to need insulin for the rest of her life.” My heart sank. My less than 2-year-old baby had tested positive for type 1 diabetes. Worse yet, she was in a life-threatening stage of Diabetic Ketoacidosis, also known as DKA.
For those unfamiliar, Diabetic Ketoacidosis is a serious condition that occurs when the body starts breaking down fats at an alarming rate. The liver processes the fat into fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic. If not treated promptly, DKA can lead to severe complications such as cerebral edema, coma, or even death. We were told that Kennedi’s blood sugar levels were dangerously high and that her little body was struggling to stay alive. Had we not brought her to the ER when we did, we would’ve had a different outcome.
In that moment I was in shock. It was as if everything around me became a cloudy dream, the doctors voice and back round chatter became distant. I felt numb. This is something no parent should ever have to endure. My mind raced with questions: How did this happen? What did I do wrong? Was there anything I could’ve done to prevent this? Why my baby? Why Me?
Over the next 5 days Kennedi remained in the hospital receiving treatments to get her blood sugar under control. We also had to attend a two-part, two-day diabetes educational class before she could be discharged. This was by far the most overwhelming week of my life. This was a lot to process and in so little time. We were literally taking a class to learn how to keep our baby alive!
Type 1 diabetes also known as T1D, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disease. In this condition, the immune system mistakenly destroys insulin making cells (called beta cells) in the pancreas. That means the body can’t make enough insulin or any at all. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Without sufficient insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar levels. Over time, elevated blood sugar can cause a range of serious complications, including heart disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, and other organ and tissue damage.
Management of type 1 diabetes requires lifelong insulin therapy, either through injections or an insulin pump. People with T1D must carefully monitor their blood sugar levels
throughout the day and adjust their insulin doses accordingly. Along with insulin therapy, maintaining a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and routine medical check-ups are crucial for managing the disease and preventing complications.
The cause of T1D is commonly referred to as “The Perfect Storm”. There are three basic ingredients that are required for a thunderstorm to form: moisture, rising unstable air (air that keeps rising when given a push), and a lifting mechanism to provide the push. T1D is similar, different factors play a role in the cause, such as genetics, viruses, and the environment thus causing the perfect storm, T1D. With that in mind, we want to form a non-profit called The Perfect Rainbow: Support, Education and Resources to weather the perfect storm! We want to help other families that are challenged by this horrible disease by bringing awareness and support to the frontlines. Your donations and purchase of our great tasting fresh lemonade and other products will help support our mission and continue being "The Ultimate Lemonade Stand"
A PURPOSE DRIVEN LEMONADE STAND!
In Loving Memory of Our Nana
Westina M. Slaughter, R.N.,N.H.A. aka Nana passed away on March 2, 2024 of diabetic complications.
2 Little Sista's | The Ultimate Lemonade Stand | Fresh Lemonade
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Meet the dynamic duo, 2 little Sista’s, Dana (10) and Kennedi (4), two entrepreneurial sisters who started selling refreshing lemonade from a lemonade stand during the summer months. With determination and hard work, they made some pretty nice profits. When asked what they wanted to buy with the money, Dana asked if they c
She thought that if they could get to more people, they could sell more lemonade! One summer in, and they were already thinking expansion.
Inspired by our daughters’ initiative, we decided to invest our savings into making Dana and Kennedi’s lemonade dreams a reality. After purchasing a used ice cream truck with a built-in generator. We gradually purchased two juicers, a slush machine, a soft serv
Having no experience in the food truck business, we hired a food truck fabricator we thought we could trust, to install these items and get us in compliance with county regulations. After examining our equipment and generator, they assured us that they were fully capable of preparing us for seamless business operations.
Several months later, we excitedly arrived to collect our truck from the food t
However, we soon discovered that their policy prevented us from receiving the keys until the final payment was made and we signed a vehicle release form, expressing our satisfaction with the work. It was a bit frustrating because we couldn't thoroughly inspect the truck without the keys. Nevertheless, after completing the payment and signing the form, we finally got our hands on the keys.
Upon starting the truck, we were immediately faced with a disappointing realization - the catalytic converters had been stolen while the truck was in the company's possession. Naturally, we brought this issue to the attention of the management, hoping for a resolution. However, they informed us that there was nothing they could do, emphasizing the fact that we had already signed the release form.
Undeterred, we decided to take matters further and filed a police report regarding the stolen converters. In order to address any other possible problems with our truck, we decided to consult another food truck fabricator.