Through Cancer Battle, Crystal Woman Gives Others Hope
Hayley Engebretsen, now in the midst of a potentially life-threatening medical battle, pines for her days of softball, soccer and hockey at Cooper High School.
“I loved it, on the adapted team it was awesome,” she told CCX News.
She was born with cerebral palsy and found a home amongst the squeaking shoes of the adapted court.
“I just, I loved it so much,” she said. “I miss it. I wish I’d failed a couple grades.”
Teri Hansen, a friend of Engebretsen, met her at least a decade ago at church and would watch her compete.
“She was very good, so that was fun to see — we would just see her really just light up and enjoy being there and being active with the other kids,” Hansen said. “Hockey? Nothing gets past her.”
Engebretsen left a lasting impression on Hansen and her family.
“The things that she taught me and my kids are irreplaceable,” Hansen said, fighting back tears. “Loving, caring, being accepted, diversity, understanding. All those things that she’s taught me and my children, you can’t get that in school … [She was] always happy, always smiling, always willing to help — like if we needed help with anything, she was always willing to help.”
Now, at age 25, Engebretsen needs some help of her own.
While working as a school bus driver this September, she had a seizure and hit a car. When she woke up, she didn’t know what happened.
“A cop was there, came over and talked to me,” she said. “And then an ambulance came.”
She went to the hospital, where doctors found she had an aggressive form of brain cancer — and without surgery, she wouldn’t live long.
“The initial two-months prognosis was pretty scary, but I decided to do the surgery,” Engebretsen said. “So they say I have like, 8-10 years put on my life again.”
Hayley Engebretsen, 25, recently had surgery for an aggressive form of brain cancer.
During the surgery, doctors removed about half of the tumor. To remove more meant risking healthy parts of the brain.
She’s now started radiation treatment and expects to undergo chemotherapy.
If she’s been concerned or stressed by the ordeal, she hasn’t shown it.
“I feel like, like I had to be strong for everybody else,” she said. “I know everybody kept saying that I didn’t, but that’s just how I feel.”
But fighting cancer is costly. Bills can range in the tens of thousands of dollars, if not substantially higher.
So, Hansen, who works at Down the Street Nutrition in Brooklyn Park, wanted to help out her old friend by hosting a fundraiser.
“I wanted to make sure that we could have a day where she can just be happy and not worry about anything that day,” Hansen said. “Just worry about her and get healthy. Because the world needs her around a lot longer.”
The fundraiser is from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Down the Street Nutrition. Engebretsen also has a GoFundMe campaign.
Engebretsen, meanwhile, is keeping an optimistic outlook. She hopes others will do the same if they get difficult news from a doctor.
“I can’t wait to see where I can go after this,” she said. “If you get this diagnosis I’m sorry, but just know that you can come out stronger on the other side, and stay positive. “
