The family of a 12-year-old girl from Merrick who has survived cancer twice held a fundraiser JFK High School in Bellmore Sunday to raise money for the center that helped her.
Sadie Freifeld was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when she was just 3 years old. After surviving that diagnosis, she relapsed six years later.
Freifeld, who is now in remission, says she considers herself a survivor but not a warrior.
“Warriors choose their battles and I didn't, so I’m not really one. I just had to do what I had to do to a make it through,” she says.
Her parents say now that she’s surviving and thriving, they decided to raise money for the Cancer Center for Kids at NYU Winthrop that helped her through the most challenging years of her life.
They say that the money raised from "Hoops for Sadie" will specifically go toward programs at the center that insurance doesn't cover.
“That’s where the donations really help,” says pediatric oncologist Dr. Mark Weinblatt. “The medical part is usually covered by insurance but it's all these ancillary services we have that make a huge difference in the style and how we give treatment.”