10-year-old La Mirada girl's brave battle with breast cancer
Hannah Powell-Auslam is 10 years old and battling breast cancer.
Doctors say it's incredibly rare for a girl her age to suffer from the disease, and her plight has garnered attention both in her hometown of La Mirada and across the nation.
In an interview with The Times, her father described the difficult task of telling his daughter about the diagnosis. He said he sat her down in April and said gently: “Hannah, you have breast cancer.” Tears instantly appeared in Hannah’s brown eyes. Words like “breast” and “cancer” are scary and clunky -- foreign among her friends and classmates.
“Will I die?” she asked.
“People can die from breast cancer,” he continued, “but you’re not going to be one of them.”
Hannah had a single mastectomy and is now undergoing chemotherapy. Her father said it’s remarkable how brave she’s been through the operation and treatments.
“I’m OK with having chemo and losing my hair,” she said. “ I’m fine with it.”
Her father said the family has been blessed by a huge amount of support from friends and strangers who have held fundraisers, dropped off meals and toys and offered their love.
-- Corina Knoll
(Knoll is working on a long-term story about Hannah’s journey through cancer treatment, which will run in the coming week).
Photo: KTLA
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Best wishes to Hannah and her family...cancer is something that no one should have to go through especially a 10-year old girl.
Posted by: Jason | June 03, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Please post information as to how the public might send financial assistance to the family. May she receive a cure.
Posted by: Tom Huggins | June 03, 2009 at 11:04 AM
The correct term is simple mastectomy, meaning only breast tissue and not sub-adjacent muscle. Mastectomy is singular so you don't need to quantify it.
I know, I know... nit-picky, but hey, I'm old and decrepit.
Posted by: ol'decrepit | June 03, 2009 at 11:36 AM
My preyers will be with this girl and her family. I am sure we all that read this article will feel the same way. Please keep us updated and give us the good news that she has recovered. I am sure she will.
Posted by: Alex | June 03, 2009 at 11:41 AM
For God's sake, get a Vita-Mix blender and get the girl on green smoothies!!!!
Posted by: Kathy Chiavola | June 03, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Oh my God..I to had to go thru Chemo & Radiation for uterine cancer. At my age (60's) I was so afraid but with support & love of family,friends & coworkers I did it..So baby girl I know you can also do it..With God, Family & friends you too will get thru this..I will pray for you and your family & hopefully someday meet you. I live in Whittier..
Posted by: d.m.n. | June 03, 2009 at 11:58 AM
God is indeed wonderful and must be thanked in all sorts and conditions of His children. And so we thank Him for this young soul. To us humans, it might not make sense that a 10-year old should undergo this condition. But God might be using her as a medium to give us a message. From the account in this story, Hannah is doing well. My prayer is that she continues to do well, that she will fully recover from this challenge and blossom into a fulfilled and very happy adult life.
Posted by: Kenny | June 03, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Wow! Hannah's story is incredibly sad... I have a 10 year old daughter, and I can feel the tears coming down, like if she was my own child. Hannah, please don't give up "HOPE" we will be praying for you very much....and I wish and hope to meet you some day soon. You are a blessing, and continue to keep strong.
Posted by: Ingrid | June 03, 2009 at 12:48 PM
OH MY GOD!! If this is God's way of telling me to reflect on my simple complaints...I AM LISTENING. Being out of a job is NOTHING compared to what this beautiful child is going through.
My mom says we each don't know the size the cross we bare is until we see another's...I see how small mine is.
Hannah, sweetheart, I will be one more person praying for you to recover and grow up to be a stronger wonderful woman. God bless you and your family.
Posted by: Aleena | June 03, 2009 at 01:28 PM
That is just terrible. The girl looks like she is obese. Could that have been the cause?
Posted by: monika | June 03, 2009 at 01:42 PM
God is with you and you will see this through. Love a mom
Posted by: angel | June 03, 2009 at 01:42 PM
Actually, ol'decrepit, in saying single mastectomy, the usage is not necessarily incorrect. Single mastectomy is removal of one breast, double mastectomy is removal of both breasts. So one could have a single simple mastectomy (as I did one year ago today!) or a double simple mastectomy, or radical if the surgery is more extensive.
I wish Hannah the best for a fully recovery and a long healthy life!
Posted by: etinca | June 03, 2009 at 02:30 PM
Why not publish the legal waiver her parents must sign to relieve the doctors from any legal claims if their quack treatment fails? How do they even know she has cancer? Has she had a second and third and fourth...opinon? A NY Times article recently disclosed we have squandered about $ 105 billion on cancer research since 1971, but most doctors cannot even intelligently explain what cancer is let alone how to treat it. When will the "sheeple" of the U.S. finally say enough is enough and fire the criminal medical cancer generals? See "The truth about hydrazine sulfate-DR. Gold Speaks" by Joseph Gold, M.D. www.hydrazinesulfate.org.
Winfield J. Abbe, PH.D., Physics
Posted by: Winfield J. Abbe | June 03, 2009 at 02:57 PM
I simply cannot believe that it is in Hannah's best interests to make her disease and treatment the center of a media circus. It doesn't seem helpful to me for a child to be doing things like throwing out the first ball at a Dodger game simply because she happened to be diagnosed with a certain illness. This isn't like a "make a wish" situation. The type of cancer Hannah has is rare but not unknown in children and has an excellent prognosis. I wonder how she will view all this when she is older.
Posted by: kate | June 03, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Hey nitpicker. We all want to know if a person loses one or both breasts. We have a simple way to communicate about this. One breast - single mastectomy. Two breasts - double. It works for us. So stop the nit-picking. And the article does not state whether her surgery was simply or not, so why not stick to the facts?
Posted by: Caroline | June 03, 2009 at 04:40 PM
For, Winfield J. Abbe, PH.D., Physics: one day you may be diagnosed with cancer and we'll see then if you ignore it and go back to work. Or do you think you will take advantage of the advances the "$105 billion squandered on cancer research since 1971" has provided. What if Hannah was your daughter, would you tell her, "go back to school, the doctors don't know what they're talking about." Good luck with this dilemma one day.
All the best to you Hannah - thank your parents and doctors for taking good care of you.
Posted by: Phil | June 04, 2009 at 05:13 PM
I am so sorry to hear that you have breast cancer. I am 41 years old and a three year breast cancer survivor. My prayers are with you and your family.
Posted by: Tami Romersheuser | September 27, 2009 at 10:20 PM
I am so sorry to hear that you have breast cancer. I am 41 years old and a three year breast cancer. My prayers are with Hannah and her family.
Posted by: Tami Romersheuser | September 27, 2009 at 10:24 PM
Hannah
I am so sorry to hear that you have breast cancer at a young age. You are in my prayers
Posted by: Tami Romersheuser | October 01, 2009 at 11:31 PM
This is a great article. Tanks for posting. There are some really interesting articles featured by our experts on the bizymoms La-mirada community experts page.
Posted by: monica | December 01, 2009 at 08:58 AM