From the initial surgery to remove a baseball-sized tumor from her kidney on March 25, 2020, to her last round of chemo on Oct. 28, 2020, Hazley Hoffmann, 4, went through all of it to fight stage two anaplastic Wilms Tumor Kidney cancer. Hazley was only 17 months old when diagnosed, but her mom Tammy Hoffmann said Hazley was a true fighter with the help of her older brothers Jaxton and Maverick.

“Hazley handled treatments amazingly,” she said. “I feel her having two older siblings truly helped her continue to stay active throughout her whole treatment. We could tell when she had her bad days.”

The tumor was first discovered by Hazley’s father Adam Hoffmann on March 19, when he picked her up at the supper table and noticed a lump on her stomach. After the surgery to remove Hazley’s tumor revealed the type of cancer she had, Tammy Hoffmann described what the initial feeling was in the room.

“I was speechless,” she said. “We weren’t expecting the news we got. The doctors were very optimistic it was a favorable type of cancer. When we got the formal diagnosis she would have to have inpatient treatment and radiation, it was very hard to hear. We knew our lives had changed at that point and then all the things started going through our heads.

Hazley shows off her war face during her battle with cancer. Since the end of October 2020, Hazley has been cancer free

Tammy Hoffmann said the hardest part for Hazley was eating. At one point Hazley was not able to eat at home, and would only eat at day care. Even with COVID at its peak, the day care did its best for the Hoffmann family.

“I was so thankful to our day care provider,” Tammy Hoffmann said. “They were willing to take her in for that short time to make sure she got nutrition. We were able to avoid a feeding tube for pretty much her whole treatment.”

Another helpful support during this time was the Hoffmann’s yellow lab, Oakley. Tammy Hoffmann described the bond she had between Hazley and Oakley.

“The minute she was born, she had a close bond and the dog was attached to her,” she said. “After her diagnosis, it was a unique connection she had with that dog. He got very protective of her whenever other dogs were around and she was there. The support we had kept us all strong to get through it. Being she handled treatments so well, it gave me hope she will get through it and we’ll all get through it together.”

For the Hoffmann family that hope has held strong. After her final round of chemotherapy, Hazley has been cancer-free. She will turn 5 years old on Halloween and is currently enjoying going to preschool. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, but her parents said her aspirations change often.

Hazley shows she is ready for her first day of preschool with a sign letting everyone know. Hazley will be turning five on Halloween

Hazley’s father, Adam, says he looks at life a little differently now since her ordeal with cancer.

“Sometimes I got to catch myself even now to not get worked up about the little things,” he said. “The stuff that matters is life and I want [Hazley] to be healthy. The stuff I was worried about at work? It wasn’t that big of a deal at the end of the day.”

The family is looking to give back to the Twin Cities Children’s Hospital where they spent much of Hazley’s battle with a toy donation drive. Tammy Hoffmann described the generosity the family received while they were there.

“[Even though] it was COVID when she was in the hospital, she got numerous toys, clothes, coloring books, color crayons and everything,” she said. “Because we were cooped up in our room and that was their way [of helping]. They would bring the cart around to kids to keep them excited. I wanted to do something to give back to the whole hospital because even when I was up there, families would donate stuff to the cancer unit. I feel like this is the prime time to do it.”

They started a toy drive during September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. After spreading the word through Facebook and word of mouth, the community backed their cause.

Hazley celebrates as she finishes her last day of chemo October 28, 2020, three days before her birthday. Since being cleared, she has been cancer free for almost three years.

“I am amazed by the out pour of the community,” Tammy Hoffmann said. “We were not expecting as much as she’s gotten. She’s excited to deliver all the toys to the children at the hospital.”

The Hoffmann’s currently have five totes full of toys ready to be delivered. The family will be continuing to take donations until November. Hazley will be donating the toys personally when she goes to the children’s hospital for one of her twice-a-year scan reviews. The biggest need expressed by the hospital is crayons, coloring books, and colored pencils. This is because every child receives a pack of crayons and a coloring book when they come to the hospital.

To find toys the children’s hospital wants donated, go to https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/RRY0PRIM8WB0. Any items purchased for the cause should be sent to either 21151 122nd St, Hanska, MN 56041, or 522 North Jefferson St, New Ulm, MN 56073.

The Hoffmann family sits for a photo in open nature. Mother and father Tammy and Adam Hoffmann sit behind their three kids, Hazley, Jaxton, and Maverick (L-R).