When you first meet Hayes, you might first notice her smile and joyful energy, or maybe you notice her sense of style. What you don’t see is the journey she’s been on since February 2024, when she was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma — a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer.

Since then, Hayes has endured 20+ chemotherapy sessions, 30 radiation sessions, 2 surgeries, and 2 stem cell transplants, with her treatment still ongoing. Through it all, she remains one of the sweetest, happiest children you could ever meet. During long hospital stays, you’ll often find her building blanket forts in her room while wearing her favorite matching pink pajamas and slippers.

By her side through every step has been me, her mom. A single mother, who had to stop working when Hayes began treatment so I could be with her full-time. I have been Hayes’s fiercest advocate — strong, supportive, and always putting Hayes first. Even in the hardest moments, I rarely ask for help and somehow find a way to keep going.

In April 2025, our challenges grew. Hayes began experiencing back pain, and despite still being on treatment, scans confirmed a relapse — the cancer was now in her spine. At the same time, I learned the home that we were renting had been sold, leaving us without stable housing.

I have poured all of my energy and resources into caring for my daughter over the last year and a half and now need support myself.

Please consider donating to help support Hayes and I as we continue this difficult journey together.