Cousins Lemonade Stand

David Daniels

In late 2021, David began experiencing pain in his upper abdomen that radiated to his back. Despite a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy showing no abnormalities or disease, his doctor ordered a CT scan—a test that ultimately helped to save his life. The CT scan revealed Stage II pancreatic cancer, likely caused by exposure to carcinogens during his 27-year career as an Alabama firefighter. David was only 62 and had just retired; this diagnosis completely devastated him and his wife, Beverly, and their entire family, including their three granddaughters, Ava Ruis and Amelia and Addison McClung. Instead of planning for the 2021 holiday season and his retirement, David had a new full-time job: going through an intense course of treatment for the world’s toughest cancer.

David underwent two months of chemotherapy, followed by a Whipple procedure in April 2022 at the University of Alabama Birmingham. The grueling, nine-hour surgery (plus the removal of three lymph nodes) was followed by a long and complicated recovery that involved David and Beverly temporarily moving to Birmingham to be close to his surgeon. Once David regained his strength, he and Beverly returned home, and he resumed chemotherapy treatment.

During a Christmas church service in 2022, Ava prayed for her Papaw David to not have cancer anymore. Ava was determined to raise awareness and research funding for pancreatic cancer for David and the thousands of other patients facing such a difficult diagnosis. They found the Lustgarten Foundation online and were immediately drawn to the Foundation’s goal of transforming pancreatic cancer into a curable disease. Ava was passionate about doing a lemonade stand to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. She discussed it with her cousins, Amelia and Addison, and the idea for Cousins Lemonade Stand was born. She was convinced that she would be able to raise money for pancreatic cancer research and make a difference, in honor of her Papaw.

The girls, who were just nine and six at the time, were filled with enthusiasm for the event and love for their Papaw. They spent months organizing the lemonade stand, with the dedicated assistance and encouragement of their mothers and David’s stepdaughters, Rachael Ruis and April McClung. On a blazing hot day in June 2023, the stand was filled with customers, including neighbors, friends, local police officers, and even members of the local fire department who arrived on their truck, in recognition of David’s decorated career as a firefighter. The lemonade stand was so successful that it raised more than $1,100 for the Lustgarten Foundation. It gave Ava, Amelia, and Addison the opportunity to be role models to other passionate young people who want to have a positive impact on their communities. The lemonade stand was a complete surprise to David, and he was overcome with gratitude for, and pride in, his granddaughters for doing something so meaningful to honor him and give hope to other families.

David continued to persevere through his treatment, undergoing chemotherapy for nearly two years after his Whipple surgery. He has been off treatment since early 2024, and his most recent CT scan continues to show no evidence of disease.

“Now I feel fantastic, like thousands of prayers have been answered. Every morning I wake up is a blessing, and I have such a deeper appreciation for everyone in my life and never take anything for granted,” he explained. “I couldn’t have made it through my treatment without the support of my excellent surgeon and the rest of my medical team, my family and friends, and especially Beverly, who has been my rock and my hero throughout this entire experience.”

David believes cancer feeds on attitude, and he strives to surround himself with positivity. “I think about cancer every morning, and it’s always in the back of my mind that it could come back, but I try to focus on the present and give thanks for this new chapter,” David shared. “Beverly and I are enjoying watching our granddaughters grow up, and we’ve started to fulfill our dream of traveling. We’re both looking forward to celebrating our 25^th wedding anniversary together in 2027—something I once thought was impossible with a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.”