Community
Teen Cancer Survivor Aims to Raise Funds for Research
When Lex Stolle was 10 years old, he started behaving in ways that weren’t like the energetic pre-teen.
“There were a lot of things that just weren’t right, like I wasn’t eating well. I was losing a lot of weight; I had fluid in my lungs. There were just so many problems that ultimately did lead to my diagnosis,” he said referring to high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALS.
The medical team initially told Stolle’s family that there would be three and a half years of intense chemotherapy. At that time, they didn’t have a complete diagnosis.
“Additionally, I would have 10 months of going in every week, taking lots of shots and pills,” he said. “And then if I ever had a fever, I would have to stay in the hospital for days, weeks or even months.”
However, updated research allowed Stolle to have a year cut off his chemotherapy.
“In total, I took over 2,000 chemotherapy pills. I had about 36 spinal taps, which is where they stick a needle in my spine to send chemo to my brain. …I spent over 50 nights in the hospital. I missed 163 days of school and my fifth-grade year,” he lamented — but doesn’t feel sorry for himself.
Ask him how he’s doing now.
“I’m awesome! I finished treatment in January of 2022. I’m a year and a half out of treatment and I’m feeling a lot better. I still go in every few months, and then I’ll have to go in every year for, I think, the rest of my life,” he said. “And I’ve started to get back into the shape that I was in — but it’s still hard to be a teenager.”
Paying the blessings forward
Stolle’s cancer journey began in 2019. Now at 14 years old, he wants to do what he can to keep the deadly disease from other kids.
“I have always had a passion for helping others, and especially with my cancer, I know what it’s like to be put through everything I went through. I don’t want any kid to have to suffer, let alone someone younger,” he said. “So I decided to do this project last year just for Peachtree Corners.”
He’s talking about his brainchild, Cancer Cards.
“Seeing so many kids go through what I did really got to me, and I felt the urge to make a difference. That’s how the idea for Cancer Cards came about. …They’re about the size of a credit card and they hold special discounts (between 15% off meals to free appetizers) for 9 to 12 local businesses.”
This year, he’s gone beyond Peachtree Corners to include cards exclusive to Milton/Alpharetta, Marietta, Buckhead and Athens. The cards are $25 each and the money raised goes to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta — the same place where Stolle received his treatment.
“We are so proud and honored to have Lex Stolle’s support of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” said Lydia Stinson of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. “After three long years of undergoing chemotherapy treatment, Lex was inspired to give back to help kids like him, and he has been determined to give back to Children’s in so many ways.”
The lengths that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta went to keep his spirits up — therapy dogs, clowns, etc. — made many of his worse days some of his best, Stolle said.
“I raised around $500 last year, but this year, I’m hoping to raise a little over $90,000,” he added.
Stolle hopes the funds can help wipe out childhood cancers. “I want one day for my grandkids to not even have to think about getting cancer, or if they do get cancer, that it can be a very easy treatment,” he said.
Cancer cards are on sale now and are active through May 25, 2024. They can be purchased online at cancercard.net.
Olympian Jasmine Jones, a standout alumna of Greater Atlanta Christian School (Class of 2020), returned to her alma mater on September 12 to speak to and inspire the next generation of students there.
GAC staff interviewed Jones and also took questions from the students during a Q&A session that included every grade level.
As a member of the U.S. Olympic team and a 12-time Georgia state individual champion during her time at GAC, Jasmine’s visit was a homecoming filled with motivation and reflection. She spoke passionately to the students about the importance of perseverance, goal-setting, and embracing challenges, drawing from her journey from GAC to the University of Southern California and the global stage of the Olympics.
Jones qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 30 and made the U.S. team in women’s 400m hurdles after placing third. She went on to place fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris games.
Students and staff at GAC cheered Jones on during the Olympics. And they cheered her again as she took to the school’s stage to address the audience. Before and after the event, Jones posed for photos, gave high-fives and took time connect with some of GAC’s enthusiastic students and faculty.
Her words — and her accomplishments — left a powerful impression on the crowd, reminding everyone of the heights that can be achieved with dedication and faith.
For more about GACS, visit greateratlantachristian.org.
The renowned performers wowed the audience with a thrilling presentation of dance, drama and fun.
Staff, students and board members of the International Charter Academy of Georgia were given a short-but-thrilling taste of Kabuki when dancers from Miyabiya Japan stopped by the school on September 16 for a special performance.
Offering a preview of the full show they’d prepared for center stage at JapanFest 2024, the troop presented a special short section of a dance titled “Renjishi: The Two Lions.”
Considered one of the most famous pieces in Kabuki, Renjishi is known for its powerful choreography and dramatic expression. It tells the story of the relationship between a father lion and his young son. The powerful movements, dramatic expressions and percussive sound effects symbolize the passing of strength and legacy from one generation to the next.
How the show came about
Miyabiya Japan last appeared at JapanFest in 2016 to great acclaim. This year, with the excitement of their return, the performers made plans to offer a few shorter performances at other places around town in the week leading up to the festival.
Robert Johnson, an advisory board member of ICAGeorgia and a long-time friend of JapanFest and the Miyabiya troop, knew the dual-language, Japanese immersion school would be a great place for one of the shows. He helped organize the day’s demonstration and was on-hand to talk to the crowd and introduce the performers.
The performance
It was the first time having a Kabuki performance at ICAGeorgia. And, as students filed into the school’s gym, the excitement was palpable. The room was humming with happy voices before the show even began.
Johnson greeted the kids with a smile before introducing the award-winning Kabuki troop in both English and Japanese.
“This special group from Japan will be performing at JapanFest, but today they’re performing here for you,” he told the excited crowd.
He went on to explain, “Kabuki is a special form of very dramatic and traditional Japanese dance. Two dancers today will do the Lion Dance.” The youngest children in the crowd shrieked with delight when they heard the name.
“The Lion Dance is like the story of the Lion King,” he continued, “with an otousan (father) lion with a long white mane and his son with a bright red mane.”
After the short explanation of what to expect, Johnson instructed the students (and the adults in the audience) to call for the performers to come out. To the sounds of “Miyabi-ya, miyabi-ya,” from the crowd, the dancers bounded out into the room, onto the space set up for their performance. They greeted Mr. Johnson and the students before getting into the story.
An interactive experience
The show started with a brief instruction of Kabuki movements that got the audience on its feet, following the red lion’s lead. It ended with a bang of confetti that thrilled (and surprised) everyone there.
In between, the story of the two lions was beautifully expressed through the performers’ detailed costumes, traditional kumadori makeup, exaggerated expressions and dramatic movements. At times, the dancers even made their way into the audience. Students and adults alike were riveted from start to finish.
“I’m happy to have the performers come to our school,” said Junko Jones, a founding board member and CFO of ICAGeorgia. “Not all of the students will be able to go to JapanFest. So, it’s nice that they can experience Japan here.”
About ICAGeorgia
The International Charter School of Georgia is a K-6 Japanese immersion school located in Peachtree Corners. They currently have 250 students, with plans to expand the school to offer Grades 7–8 in the future.
Eighty-one of the students will sing onstage at JapanFest September 21 at 1pm. This will be school’s sixth time performing at the festival, having been there every year since the school opened. The students also performed at the state capital in January for Japan Day.
For more information about ICAGeorgia, visit internationalcharteracademy.org.
For more about JapanFest and Miyabiya Japan, visit japanfest.org
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