LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — When Trevor and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their daughter Hazel into the world on June 26, they never imagined they would soon be fighting for her life.
Hazel is the youngest of three children in the Ward family. Just months after Hazel’s birth, doctors discovered something alarming: a tumor on her liver.
“They told us there was a growth on her liver, and that began our journey fighting this tumor, hepatoblastoma,” said Trevor Ward, Hazel’s father. “From what I understand, about one in a million babies born every year have this condition.”
Hepatoblastoma is an extremely rare form of liver cancer that primarily affects infants and young children. According to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, only about 100 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Hazel was admitted to Oishei Children’s Hospital, where testing and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Doctors immediately began chemotherapy.
“We were hoping it wouldn’t be, but the biopsy confirmed that this was cancer, and we started chemotherapy,” Trevor said.
Over the past several months, Hazel has endured five rounds of chemotherapy, along with blood and platelet transfusions. Her parents say watching their baby go through treatment has been heartbreaking.
“Putting someone that small and helpless through chemo was really heartbreaking."
Despite months of treatment, doctors say the tumor has not responded as they had hoped. Now, physicians at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh are moving forward with listing Hazel for a liver transplant. She will be listed as Status 1B, one of the highest priority levels for pediatric patients.
Doctors are also exploring the possibility of a living liver donor, a transplant option that could save Hazel’s life.
“That’s why we are where we are now,” Trevor said. “We’re reaching out and hoping we can find the donor for a liver transplant.”
WATCH: Lewiston family searching for liver donor to save baby Hazel's life
Once a donor is found, Hazel and one parent will need to stay in Pittsburgh for roughly 12 weeks for surgery and recovery, while the other parent remains in Western New York with Hazel’s two brothers. The family says community support has helped ease some of the financial stress, allowing them to focus on Hazel’s healing.
Through it all, Trevor says the family is holding on to hope, especially when thinking about Hazel’s future.
“The only solace we have is that this will be in our memories, but not hers,” he said. “When we’re celebrating those life events, first day of kindergarten, walking down the aisle, she won’t remember any of this. That’s what we hope.”
As Christmas approaches, the Ward family is asking for prayers, continued support, and for people to keep sharing Hazel’s story in hopes it reaches the right person.
You can find additional information on living liver donation here and ways to financially support the Ward family can be found on the GoFundMe.
