16-month-old Hayley Gangemi had shown no symptoms prior to her shock diagnosis.
But when she bumped her head falling off a lounge at daycare and began vomiting, her parents Nicky and Steve took her to hospital.
‘In the evening she was unable to be roused and things escalated quickly with a CT scan that showed brain swelling and a tumour,’ family friend Elizabeth Singh explained on a GoFundMe page set up for the devastated family.
Hayley was transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital where she was heavily sedated, with a breathing tube and drains inserted to drain excess fluid and help with the swelling.
The following day Hayley had a lengthy surgery to remove part of the tumour – which is malignant and aggressive.
‘It was not able to be removed completely. She then started to have seizures and was not waking up when expected. MRI's and CT scans are now a regular occurrence,’ Elizabeth explained.
With Nicky pregnant with a second baby, the family are facing a tough time as Hayley will require more surgery, followed by aggressive treatment.
‘An MRI showed that there has been some serious damage to blood vessels and brain cells,’ Elizabeth explained, adding that Nicky and Steve have been praying for their daughter’s recovery and asked that others do the same.
‘Hayley will need chemotherapy, but at the moment the priority is trying to let her brain recover and wake up,’ she said.
‘At this point, Hayley is very rocky and fragile and it is unclear when she will wake up.
‘However it is more than clear that Nicky and Steve need time with Hayley. She needs her parents by her side.’
To donate to the day to day expenses the family face while Hayley is in hospital and undergoing treatment click here
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
