Seven months after a Hawaii Island mom and dad learned their six-year-old daughter had leukemia, the girl's latest round of tests finally brought good news: the treatments are working. But the family's fight is far from over, and so is the financial strain that has piled up since the diagnosis upended their lives.
According to KHON2, the girl spent much of the past seven months hospitalized in Honolulu, undergoing treatments and procedures while her parents stayed by her side. During that stretch, her father was laid off and her mother's hours were cut from full-time to on-call, leaving the family without steady income amid overwhelming financial strain.
The family moved in with a relative, where they do not have to pay to stay. But the home comes with its own problems: the floor is sinking, and the kitchen is starting to fall apart, conditions that raise safety concerns for a child who mostly stays indoors these days to avoid getting sick.
Monthly Testing and Honolulu Trips Lie Ahead
The improved test results do not mean the family's medical journey is finished. The girl will need to be tested every month for the next six months and must continue treatments to prevent the cancer from returning, the station's report notes, meaning the family should expect frequent trips back to Honolulu for her care.
Those trips, combined with ongoing mobility needs, have added to the household's list of necessities. The girl needs a walker without a seat and a keiki-sized wheelchair, both of which the family is currently borrowing rather than owning outright, per the same account.
What the Family Says Would Help Most
Beyond medical equipment, there are smaller wishes that speak to a six-year-old still being a kid. She would love art supplies, something to fill the hours between hospital visits and testing appointments. Her parents, meanwhile, say gift cards for groceries, gas, household items, and toiletries would go a long way toward easing everyday costs.
Her father could also use gift cards to home improvement stores so he can tackle the repairs on the sinking floor and deteriorating kitchen in the relative's home where the family now lives, the article states.
Readers hoping to help are directed to the Laulima Giving Program website, where they can search for the ʻohana code HA2672-3 to connect directly with the family's listed needs. The Laulima Giving Program says referrals for its 2026 holiday season are now closed, though it is still seeking sponsors for families already in the system, and notes that each person in a sponsored family should receive a gift valued at a minimum of $50 or more. The organization also accepts gift-card donations for retail stores, supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants.
Statewide Support Exists for Families Facing Childhood Cancer
The financial toll described in this family's case echoes a broader pattern among Hawaii households navigating a child's cancer treatment. The Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation says it offers six programs, all free to families, and reports providing more than $360,000 in direct financial assistance to over 160 families statewide in the past year. That assistance can cover travel, housing, meals, utilities, transportation, and essential household bills during treatment, the foundation says, and families may be eligible if a child has been diagnosed with or is being treated for cancer in Hawaii, based on the foundation's guidelines.
For now, this Hawaii Island family's most immediate needs remain tied to the home they share with a relative and the regular trips to Honolulu that their daughter's recovery still demands. The holiday season brings an added opportunity for the community to step in, whether through the ʻohana code tied to the Laulima program or through everyday gift cards that ease the pressure of groceries, gas, and repairs piling up at once.
