HALES CORNERS — A 3-year-old girl who survived a rare eye cancer as an infant is now enjoying a new backyard play set thanks to the generosity of a local business.
Hana Muna was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye, when she was just five months old. The condition affected both of her eyes.
"We saw that she had a glow in her eye, and we didn't really think anything of it," said Sammy Muna, Hana's father.
Doctors initially treated Hana with chemotherapy, but the cancer continued to grow. That's when her father decided to seek additional medical opinions.
"I'm looking for like the Nike of doctors, give me the best," Muna said.
The family found specialized treatment in New York that targeted the cancer directly at the back of her eyes. Two years later, Hana's vision is great.
Watch: 3-year-old eye cancer survivor gets special backyard surprise
"She sees better than me, she'll point to an airplane like 'where'??" Muna said.
After learning about Hana's journey, Milestone Plumbing partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation to build a play set in her backyard. The Roc Solid Foundation provides backyard play areas for families dealing with childhood cancer.
"Kinda just trying to bring joy to her life, and she's got something she can use in her backyard to play," said Adison Benzinger, a Milestone apprentice.
Benzinger and his team spent an entire Friday constructing the play set specifically for Hana's family.
"Everyone's got a story, and some people's stories don't get to get told, and so I think having her story told is going to inspire a lot of other people down the road," Benzinger said.
Today, Hana is like most three-year-olds, enjoying playtime with friends in her backyard, though her father describes her as their "dangerous kid."
"She has no fear, she's our dangerous kid, she's the one we're always looking out for, like, oh my GOD, what is she doing now?" Muna said.
Hana's experience may have already shaped her future aspirations.
"I always ask her, 'Hana, what do you do when you grow up?' and she shocked us, she said I want to become an eye doctor," Muna said.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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