Huntley Daisies Rally Around Young Cancer Survivor

Teagan Haniszewski’s mom cried as she watched her 5-year-old daughter walk unassisted with the Girl Scout Daisies who made the feat possible.

“It was emotional to see her stand next to the other little girls and be able to walk and get her own pizza,” Carly Haniszewski said Friday evening, using a tissue to wipe away her tears.

Teagan received a walker—with a harness—which will make it easier for her to go out and play and give her independence. Huntley Troop 244 donated $600 of their Girl Scout cookie money to purchase the walker for Teagan.

“They like to include everyone and when they heard about someone who couldn’t do what they do, they wanted to help,” said Janell Harper, a troop leader along with Dawn Guyer and Jen Kotara.

“They are caring and want to help others,” Guyer said of the girls.

Guyer’s daughter, Kaitlyn, is one of the Daisies. The 6-year-old said helping Teagan was “fun, because we are giving her a walker.”

Carly cried when she heard the Daisies wanted to buy the walker. She said it was wonderful of the girls and thanked everyone Friday during a pizza party at the Huntley Park District.

“I hope it gives her the ability to play with other kids and be as normal as possible with her challenges,” Carly said, wiping another tear away.

Teagan was 2 years old when doctors discovered a brain tumor. The tumor was situated in the part of the brain that controls balance. It was removed and she underwent chemotherapy for months. Teagan can walk but has no balance. Someone needs to hold her up as she walks, Carly said.

The family had a different walker for Teagan, however, it would tip over and did not help her build strength in her legs. The new walker will let her have more freedom since it has a harness.

She also has difficulty speaking and undergoes speech therapy. But she expressed herself clearly when asked if she liked her new walker.

“Yeah,” Teagan said, between bites of pizza.

The Daisies decorated the walker with a sign in different colors, including Teagan’s favorite, pink, and included a photo of her and the troop during a recent outing.

Each girl hugged Teagan after the walker was unveiled. And she smiled, posing for photos. Her grandmother, Elaine Haniszewski, said Teagan is a “happy, happy person” who loves her new baby brother, Jackson, seven weeks old.

Nova Rothisberger gave her a big hug, too. Nova’s mom, Kathy, said her daughter was excited about doing something nice for Teagan. The Rothisberger family and the troop do a lot of volunteering but never get to meet the people they are helping, Kathy said. This time, Nova got to meet Teagan.

“I think it teaches them compassion and how important it is to serve other people,” Kathy said.