A helping hand for Hazel
Thirteen-month-old battling cancer of the eye
Hazel Rhindress is a bouncing, playful 13-month-old, with a ready smile and unending curiosity.
One would never suspect that she has already undergone four chemotherapy treatments.
Hazel is battling retinoblastoma, a rare childhood cancer of the eye, and will be heading to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on Aug. 1 for further treatment.
“It’s been quite a journey, but she’s been amazing through it,” said her father, Chris Rhindress. “We couldn’t ask for a better kid ... four chemo sessions, 9-10 hours a day hooked to an IV, restrained. She hates it.”
Almost exclusively found in young children, retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer, but the common malignant cancer of the eye in children. While most children survive this cancer, they may lose their vision in the affected eye or need to have the eye removed. Hazel’s mother, Holly Timmons, knows this all too well. She had her own battle with retinoblastoma, and had to have her right eye removed at the age of four.
“When she was born, I wanted
her eyes tested right away,” said Timmons, who knew the cancer
could be hereditary. “They said it was safer to
put her under when she was at least a couple months old, so we waited until she was four months old and took her to the IWK.”
Tumours were found first in her left eye, but later spread to her right eye, as well.
After laser treatment and four rounds of chemotherapy, Hazel was declared cancer-free last month. But it came back.
“The IWK says there’s nothing else they can do, so they’re sending us to Toronto Sick Kids, and we’ll go from there,” said Timmons.
The Amherst family only has only had two weeks to raise money for the trip.
While Hazel’s expenses are paid for, her parents’ are not. They will need money for flights, lodging, meals and taxis while there. They expect to be there for two days, but said there is a possibility they will have to make return trips. This has come after the family spent the past nine months travelling back and forth to Halifax for her treatments and checkups.
“It’s been pretty stressful, but we’re just trying to tough through it,” said Rhindress. “We just want to get her healthy and move past this, hopefully.”
A GoFundMe page called “Baby Hazel’s battle with cancer” has been set up here to accept donations for the cause.