Lemonade stands have been a longtime summer activity, but five-year-old Sadie and her family selflessly put their own spin on this tradition by collecting online and in-person donations for the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF). Every donation makes a difference, and they raised more than $5,000.

According to Sadie’s mother, Brianna, who is also living with PI, “Online contributions seem to be the most popular way to receive donations. Sadie is only five, so my husband and I wanted to think of a way to include her in our fundraising efforts—it was important that she felt involved in the process. She loved greeting her customers and thanking them for coming. She was very hands-on and filled everyone’s cups with ice and offered lids/straws. It was a great learning experience for her, and she was proud to help.”

Since two family members are living with PI, it was important for them to give back, “Up until my diagnosis, I had never heard of PI—and this was also true of most of my friends and family members. We realized it’s a smaller community that needs the support to educate others about how they can help individuals affected by PI.”

Back in 2018, after many years of frequent infections, Sadie’s mother was diagnosed with IgA and IgG subclass 2 & 4 deficiency, and then in March 2022, Sadie was diagnosed with hypogammaglobulinemia and IgA deficiency at Boston Children’s Hospital. After her daughter’s diagnosis, Sadie would frequent IDF’s website and said, “there are so many wonderful available resources through IDF that have helped our family!”

IDF greatly appreciates the generosity of Sadie and her family, and every dollar towards the PI community makes an impact! If you are interested in making an online donation, please click here.