Haley's Story

It started with some pain in my groin during the last week of August. Everyone thought I pulled a muscle, but when the pain didn't get better my mom called the pediatrician. They sent me to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ for a couple of x-rays. The x-rays came back good and I was told to take it easy because I probably pulled a muscle in my groin.  I started 5th grade on September 2nd and that afternoon I went to the orthopedic who checked my leg, confirmed that the x-ray looked good and told me if I wasn't feeling 100% better in 2 weeks to come back.  So, over Labor Day weekend my family and I were away in Inlet, NY (Adirondacks).  On Saturday Sept. 5th I tripped and fell. My leg was in excruciating pain and I was unable to move. I was taken by ambulance to a hospital 85 miles away in Utica, NY. Every bump we hit along the way made me want to scream. X-rays were taken and showed that I broke my femur bone. I was then transferred by ambulance (4 1/2 hours) to West Chester Medical Center because I needed better care. When I got there on Sunday morning they immediately put my leg in traction. The next day I was off to surgery to have a plate put in my leg to fix my broken femur. During the operation they found a tumor in my bone and sent it out for a biopsy.  On the evening of Sept. 9th the doctors told my parents that the results of my biopsy weren't good. On Thursday, Sept. 10th I took another ambulance ride to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where I had many more tests done. After the tests were completed my Doctor and his team explained to us that I had a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma. So far the tests showed that the cancer was localized in my femur and had not spread to any other parts of my body. I start my treatment on Tuesday, Sept. 15th. 

Love,
Haley

*Since September, Haley has endured incredible physical and emotional pain from leg surgery, to chemo therapy, constant illness, nausea, and complete hair loss. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of Haley’s fight against this awful disease. In mid December Haley will undergo surgery to have her right leg amputated. As you can imagine, this is a tragic loss for anyone, but especially for a 10 year old child. Haley’s future will certainly change as a result of the surgery but anyone who knows this amazing girl has hope that she will live to do things many of us could never dream of accomplishing.