Orland Girl Who Beat Cancer Gives Back To Charity That Rallied For Her
ORLAND PARK, IL — An Orland Park girl in remission after a two-year cancer battle is ready to support kids in positions like hers, with her own, long-dreamt of lemonade stand.
Isla Dorsey, who fought rhabdomyosarcoma, always told her mother Danielle that she wanted to organize a lemonade stand, and her mom knows how important it is to her. But in the midst of treatments, tests, and scans, the timing wasn’t quite right—until now.
“The last two summers, we were busy otherwise,” Dorsey said. “I agreed to let her host one this year, and she decided she wanted to give back to sick kids.”
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Isla was diagnosed in May 2022 with rhabdomyosarcoma in her left sinuses, which later spread to a lymph node on each side, and both of her lungs. Following treatment, scans in February 2024 showed no recurrence, with doctors saying she is considered in remission.
While celebrating Isla’s win, Dorsey said both she and Isla have not lost sight of all they’ve been through—and who helped them along the way. Oak Forest-based Project Fire Buddies is a volunteer-led effort by local fire departments to show support for children battling critical illness and their families. It began in 2016, and his since grown to include 105 chapters across 8 states.
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“Since her diagnosis, they were one of the first organizations to reach out to us,” Dorsey told Patch. “It was two weeks after she was diagnosed, and ever since then, they have been along for the ride.”
Their shows of support ranged from a gift, to a Christmas lights surprise, to helping Dorsey secure a new roof over their heads.
“They just made sure Isla had really great days, whether it be dropping off a gift, or sending us a on a trip,” Dorsey said. “She knows the impact it had on her. …
Isla will host a lemonade stand Sunday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 151st Street and Huntington Court in Orland Park.
Nicky V’s Hot Dogs—with locations in Oak Forest and Mt. Greenwood—has been one of Isla’s biggest supporters, Dorsey said, and will have its food truck on-site. Spy the hot dog that’s bearing Isla’s logo, Dorsey said.
“He will be bringing her logo truck and offering a free hot dog to anyone who supports her and her lemonade stand,” Dorsey said.
Also lined up for the event, is Manhattan-based MobileGlamSquadParties. For a donation to Isla’s lemonade stand, customers can choose a free service, with option of hair beads, hair tinsel, or face stencil and gems, the squad said.
“Her incredibly kind heart is now PAYING IT FORWARD to the organization that supported her and her family along the way during the difficult times they faced with her diagnosis,” MobileGlamSquad said on its Facebook page.
Dorsey said Isla is excited to give back to the organization that showed her so much kindness. It’s the latest celebration for the mother-daughter duo. Doctors recently removed Isla’s chemo port and gastrostomy tube, and the pair took a trip to the Bahamas to “celebrate the end of all the ‘yuck,'” Dorsey said.
Now Isla is focused on helping to bring some brightness into what’s a dark time for so many kids, and Project Fire Buddies is the perfect way.
“… She knows they do such an incredible job at making sick kids happy,” Dorsey said. “She wanted to be sure she was able to help them, help more children.”
Isla’s Lemonade Stand is set for Sunday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 151st and Huntington Court in Orland Park.
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