From 2nd grade to the cancer ward

Peoria family overcomes medical heartbreak

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

Cancer does not discriminate, but it can be beat.

Let the tale of Carson Hunter, 7, be a reminder.

Carson is a happy, spirited young girl in second grade who loves to be around her friends and is a super active resident of Vistancia. She loves unicorns, the color pink, sparkles, and is a joy to her family.

But she was diagnosed with cancer last year when doctors pulled a tumor out of her body that was 10% of her weight. Only a week earlier she had been playing tag during recess at Great Hearts Archway Glendale.

Doctors rushed her into treatment and after three rounds of chemotherapy over four months — a lifetime to her parents — Carson was officially declared cancer free in early February.

“This has changed our life dramatically — and we are walking forward with the knowledge that Carson will be a cancer patient for life,” said her mother, Kristi Hunter.

A tough road

In mid-November of 2021, Carson had a low grade fever sporadically over the course of a week. But when her fever spiked at 102 degrees and her abdomen area began to feel hard, her father, Clayton, took her to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital emergency room.

The next morning they were told Carson would need surgery immediately.

In performing the surgery, the doctors removed one ovary and a 6.5 inch tumor that was five pounds or about 10% of her body weight, about 5 inches by 7 inches. Carson was diagnosed with stage II ovarian cancer, and would have to undergo chemotherapy.

Kristi said the surgery was brutal — Carson was on an epidural for three days to prevent pain. The family braced themselves for a future of caring for a daughter who could be a cancer patient for life.

“We were so shocked to see the size of the tumor on the CT,” Kristi said. “It was really frightening, and quite unbelievable that she didn’t have many symptoms as a result. The oncologist told us that her tumor likely had started two to four weeks prior to her surgery. It was enormous.”

Financial

The Hunters have insurance that cover some of Carson’s medical costs but the family faced a minimum of $12,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, plus anything deemed “out of network” at Phoenix Children’s Hospital that was not covered.

The average hospital stay costs $40,000 for a child with cancer, according to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

In addition to treatment, there were other costs that added to the mounting stack of medical bills, such as childcare, food and transportation — 80 miles round trip to the hospital.

Upper West Side PHX founder Katie Roe, who works with Kristi, said that because of these financial difficulties, she started a GoFundMe campaign, that raised more than $56,000 toward Carson’s medical bills.

Roe said it has been amazing to see the community come together and rally around Carson and the Hunter family, whether it was through the GoFundMe campaign so they didn’t have to worry about the financial stress of all the medical bills on top of fighting cancer, or with signs, cookies, cards or words of encouragement.

“Kristi and Clayton are West Valley natives and very invested in the community, always helping others, so it was great to see their family receive support in return,” Roe said. “North Peoria is a very tight knit community and the support that the Hunters received, from both businesses and residents, is a true testament to how wonderful our community is.”

Recovery

After her parents wondering if she would ever be able to play again on the playground at Great Hearts, Carson has been officially declared cancer free and returned to school in March.

She was recently picked to be featured for the American Childhood Cancer Organization’s virtual run/walk this summer and fall.

All proceeds from the event will go to more resources for kids with cancer and research to help eradicate the disease altogether.

Carson is one of two children featured for the fundraiser, so people all over the country will be able to walk or run in her name, Kristi said.

“Her health is great! She is back to all of her normal activities and is really enjoying her time at school and with friends,” Kristi said. “This has changed our life dramatically, and we are walking forward with the knowledge that Carson will be a cancer patient for life.”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.