When her son’s medical expenses began mounting, a Maine mother turned her passion for baking into a home business—building a small bakery stand in her front yard to help cover the cost of his treatment.
Kalee Weatherwax has shared the journey with more than 12,000 online followers, posting videos of her pink bake stand and previewing the homemade treats available each weekend.
Weatherwax has been caring for her son since he was an infant, when she first noticed an unusual bruise on his leg.
Her son Alec, now 7, was diagnosed with Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma, or KHE, an extremely rare and aggressive tumor.
KHE develops from an abnormal growth of blood vessels and can spread through the veins.
If untreated, the cancerous veins can constrict muscles. Weatherwax told Inside Edition last month that, when Alec was first diagnosed, the veins were extending toward his heart.
Alec has taken oral chemotherapy twice a day since infancy to manage his condition. The medication has weakened his immune system, and he frequently misses school, Weatherwax said.
Because the treatment is so uncommon, it costs $2,000 per box, creating a significant financial burden for the family.
Kalee Weatherwax began selling baked goods from her front yard to help pay for her son Alec’s rare treatment. The pair are pictured together above. Picture source: Kalee Weatherwax/Facebook
With help from her three sons, Weatherwax operates a charming pink bake stand in her front yard each weekend. Picture source: Kalee Weatherwax/Facebook
Alec was diagnosed with Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE), an extremely rare and aggressive tumor. Picture source: Kalee Weatherwax/Facebook
After Alec’s diagnosis, Weatherwax faced a difficult choice: return to work after maternity leave to help pay for his medication or remain at home to provide the care he needed.
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Baking offered a possible solution. Weatherwax already loved making treats, and friends often asked whether they could purchase her goods, inspiring her to create a makeshift bakery at home.
“Time has been a thief, and we haven’t gotten all of those normal experiences that a lot of other people have, and I’m grateful for every experience I get with my child, no matter what,” Weatherwax told the Kennebec Journal.
“But to me, I’m just like: how could I steal that time back? And that’s kind of why I wanted to start a home business.”
For years, Weatherwax and her three sons have sold baked goods from the pink stand in their front yard, welcoming members of the community on weekends.
She regularly posts videos of the baking process and announces the weekend menu so local customers know what to expect.
Recent offerings included sourdough bread, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip cookies and apple crumb coffee cake.
The stand was closed for Halloween last weekend, but Weatherwax still set out free self-serve coffee and juice for community members to enjoy while trick-or-treating.
Weatherwax and her family sell homemade baked goods from their front yard each weekend. Picture source: Kalee Weatherwax/Facebook
Weatherwax came up with the idea after her son’s diagnosis, when she was trying to figure out whether to go back to work and how to cope with the additional expense. Picture source: Kalee Weatherwax/Facebook
‘Thank you all so much for an amazing season and we’ll be back to baking next week with a few holiday additions,’ Weatherwax wrote on Facebook.
The Maine mom said the stand has not only helped them afford their son’s treatment, but it has given Alec a chance to engage in the community as an immunocompromised child.
Weatherwax told the Kennebec Journal that the chemotherapy has helped manage Alec’s symptoms, and they hope an ultrasound scheduled for next month will show positive results so he can reduce his treatment dose.