SPRUCE HEAD, Maine (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Team Hailey Hugs started one year ago because of one little girl with the vision that all kids going through cancer should get the help they need.
There are few words that can describe what a child with cancer goes through. There families also have a difficult time. Tabaitha Steward knows all too well the stress and pain that comes with cancer. Her daughter Hailey was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was five years old. She was one heck of a fighter over the next five years, but also a lover. In the hospital she couldn't help but become close with the other young patients. It's why she started the organization Team Hailey Hugs to help other families and kids going through cancer with medical expenses.
"She was just all about loving the kids and sharing and trying to make them happy and laugh and smile," said Tabaitha Steward.
Hailey lost her battle with cancer last September. Her mission of helping others continues because her mom hasn't stopped lending a helping hand through Team Hailey Hugs. Reaching out to kids like Aaliyah Carballo and her parents. Doctors found a softball sized tumor in the five year old's stomach that was diagnosed as Nueroblastoma.
"It's been horrible," said her dad, Todd Carballo. "She's had to go through, this is just a short summary, she went through six rounds of chemotherapy, two bone marrow transplants and then she started anti-body therapy."
Months of treatments in Portland, Boston and New York aren't cheap and the Carballo's got behind on their bills and rent. That's where Team Hailey Hugs stepped up to help. Two $500 checks were made out to the family to help with expenses as Aaliyah went through her treatments. One of 55 families that have been helped this year.
"If you have a child, or a family that's in need of anything throughout their journey of childhood cancer diagnosis, than we help them with electrical bills, mortgage, car, fixing a car, whatever," said Steward.
Aaliyah's most recent MRI scans show no signs of cancer. Great news for a family in need of positivity. They've been told that her cancer does have the possibility of coming back, but whether cancer free or going through treatments. The support of a certain mom continuing her daughter's mission will always be there for support.
"It's just nice knowing that we can do what Hailey wanted us to do," Steward.
To help raise money for Team Hailey Hugs, Steward is working to get enough signatures to approve a specialty license plate for the organization. To sign up for one, click here.