NORTHPORT, NY — The community is rallying for Hailey Seemungal, 14, of Northport, who was diagnosed with cancer in June.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $16K for Hailey’s cancer fight as of Friday afternoon. People may donate here.
“‘Your child has cancer.’ The scariest words a parent can hear,” her mother, Zorida Rasool-Raghoonanan, wrote on the fundraiser page. “These four words shattered our world on June 7, 2024.”
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What started out as a 9 a.m. visit to urgent care turned into two emergency room visits ending with an oncologist at 7 p.m., Rasool-Raghoonanan said. The oncologist delivered horrific news to the family.
“Tears, devastation, confusion, fright … every emotion was felt that day and every day since then,” Rasool-Raghoonanan said. “Our bright star, Hailey, just had her world turned upside down. In an instant, she couldn’t dream of her future anymore. Her reality felt like a nightmare. An active, athletic, smart, beautiful, kind, 14-year-old girl. Who would’ve ever imagined someone of that profile would receive a cancer diagnosis? Cancer doesn’t care. It doesn’t discriminate. It just breaks your heart in ways you never knew possible. While we may never know how or why this happened, we couldn’t focus on that. We had to pull it together to be there for our daughter while she got ready for the battle of her life, and man, is she a fighter! A warrior as called by her oncology team. To say she’s had a hard journey is an understatement.”
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Hailey has dealt with “bump after bump,” her mother said, causing each day to be filled with uncertainty and anxiety. While inpatient during induction, Hailey developed a large blood clot on her left upper arm and neck, as well as aspergillosis pneumonia, landing her in the ICU. What should have been a 30-day hospital stay turned into 57 days, her mother said. Fast forward to September, into the consolidation phase and the week of her birthday, and Hailey was admitted for complications from a treatment and a new condition emerged: PRES syndrome.
“Once again, doctors have no explanation of why or how this happened and we’re left watching our girl face another challenge,” Rasool-Raghoonanan said. “So much has happened in such a short time. With all of this, Hailey hasn’t given up. A true warrior. She’s been knocked down over and over and she refuses to stay down. As parents, we wish we could make it better for her. We wish we could take away her tears and pain. All we can do is be there for her and with her throughout this chapter in our lives.”
Hailey is the second of three children and the “glue that holds” her family together, her mother said. Her diagnosis “devastated” her older brother and younger sister.
“They’re best friends,” Rasool-Raghoonanan said. “When she’s in pain, we’re in pain. There is no greater emotional roller coaster ride than watching your child go through the ups and downs of chemotherapy, praying for more good days than bad. There is no preparation for cancer. It’s not a journey anyone should go through alone.”
The family has had to make sacrifices to ensure Hailey’s needs are fully met and that she never feels alone, her mother said.
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“Financial and emotional strains are also part of the journey,” she said. “We’ve tried to do it all on our own from the beginning but little did we know how much extra support Hailey will need as the chemotherapy cycles progress. Unfortunately, we’re not as prepared as we’d hoped, so we’re asking for a little extra help. We’ve taught our super independent Hailey that it’s OK to ask for help to get through this, but somehow we didn’t take our own advice. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but that of strength because no one is ever truly alone. All we need to do is ask. Will you consider helping us care for our daughter throughout her chemotherapy journey? Every bit counts and is appreciated and one day we will pay it forward to repay the kindness we’ve received.”
The GoFundMe was set up by Michael Paquet, a man who lost his child to cancer. Paquet met Hailey’s family through Hailey’s guidance counselor. The Paquets have since made it their mission to advocate for families battling childhood cancer and are “absolute angels in the community,” Rasool-Raghoonanan said.
“I cannot fully express how touched we are,” Rasool-Raghoonanan told Patch. “They are the very definition of what community is and should be. We’re amazed at the generosity and love received from the Northport community members and the efforts of the Northport School District for our family. This truly is a special place!”
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