Oceanside six-year old is taking a stand against cancer

Assemblyman Brian Curran and Congressman Anthony D’Esposito recognized young residents from throughout the 21st assembly district, in a “Young Leaders In The 21st” event honoring them for their contributions to the community on April 14.

The event honored young people who make a positive difference in their community. In total, 19 young leaders were honored at the Lynbrook Library for giving back to their communities including six-year-old Oceanside resident Rylie Graham.

“Young people are powerful. All throughout history, youth movements have had a tremendous impact on the way society thinks, acts, and runs,” Curran said. “Even today, it is young people who continue to lead the charge in the fight for equality and justice for all. I want to encourage young people to be bold. Change the world. Don’t be afraid to be a part of something bigger. Young people are a powerful group, and with great power comes great responsibility. Use your powers to make our small planet a better place.”

Rylie is a dynamic first grader whose journey of kindness began last summer with a simple lemonade stand that has since blossomed into a beacon of hope and joy for those in need. Inspired by her own family’s journey—her brother Cooper was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a form of cancer, at just four months old and underwent treatment at Cohen Children’s Medical Center— Rylie’s mission is personal.

Rylie embarked on a mission to support other children undergoing treatment at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. With a lemonade stand as her stage, she’s not only quenching thirst but also spreading hope and joy to those who need it most. Through her efforts, Rylie’s lemonade stand initiative raised $5,000 and collected hundreds of toys for young patients at the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department at Cohen’s

Cooper has been receiving treatment at Cohen, and not long after his diagnosis, the Oceanside community rallied to support the family. The support shown by the Oceanside community by rallying behind the family through the “CoopStrong” slogan has had a tremendous impact on the family, and Graham is grateful for it. Mike Graham, Rylie’s father, and long-time Oceanside resident, shared the family’s story of resilience. Despite Cooper’s ongoing battle with cancer, the Graham family remains steadfast, buoyed by the outpouring of support from their neighbors and beyond.

“The support from the community and our local officials, you know, is just tremendous. It’s a really big, a really big help to the family and It’s comforting,” Graham said. “We have people from around the world checking in on him and sports athletes. He’s created an inspiration throughout, you know, not only Oceanside but throughout the country. We have people reach out from all different avenues, whether they’re checking in to see if we need help getting him to the hospital for his doctor’s appointments. He’s there, sometimes two, three days a week.”

Rylie will host her second annual lemonade stand on June 9th at 3249 2nd Street in Oceanside from 11- 3 p.m. Her message of hope continues to resonate, inspiring others to join her in spreading kindness one small act at a time.

“The first one was so successful and was just an amazing turnout from the community,” Graham said. “We had some doctors and different people show up to support it. It became a big inspiration for her. She’s able to give back to children and where her brother has spent over a year and a half of his lifetime. She’s able to give back to that hospital for the kids that are there currently.”

As the Graham family navigates their journey, Rylie’s compassion and determination help the family and Cooper with each passing day.

“She’s so positive and she’s creating little avenues where she can show that she’s there to support him (Cooper) every day,” Graham said. “She’s always trying to come up with ways of doing things for kids at the hospital because she knows how hard it is for them. They don’t have that normal lifestyle. Seeing her brother go through this, she’s adapting to the lifestyle and seeing how important it is to help others like people are helping us.”