Cary-Grove graduate Haley Lichter fights brain cancer

The life of one Cary-Grove High School graduate recently changed in the blink of an eye.

Haley Lichter went from preparing for college to fighting for her life – diagnosed in July with a massive brain tumor the size of an orange and a rare form of brain cancer.

“I went from being a normal high school graduate hanging out with friends to having doctor appointments every day,” said Haley Lichter, 18. “It’s something I never imagined myself going through.”

The cross country and track athlete at Cary-Grove began experiencing headaches earlier this summer, said her mother, Misty Lichter. She would take aspirin and they would go away.

One of her eyes later began deviating inward, and the family scheduled an eye doctor appointment in early July. On her way to the appointment, she began slurring her words and “mumbling like she was drunk,” Misty Lichter said. She was rushed to the emergency room, where the doctor told her she had a tumor.

Haley Lichter had a craniotomy to remove the tumor July 10, and nine days later, she was diagnosed with grade three anaplastic oligodendroglioma.

“It was like you see in the movies,” Misty Lichter said. “They tell you that your child has cancer, and you fall to the floor.”

Having survived the craniotomy, Haley Lichter now will undergo six weeks of radiation, which will be followed by a series of tests.

She also will have a portacath inserted under her skin, which is an intravenous catheter used on chemotherapy patients.

After six weeks of chemotherapy, Haley Lichter will have to have an MRI every three months.

“Next week, she was supposed to be heading off to college,” Misty Lichter said. “Now she is fighting for her life.”

Since the diagnosis, the family has remained positive.

“I plan to beat this and get back to school,” Haley Lichter said. “It’s a very hard thing to go through at such a young age, but I will be a better person, and know I will be able to do anything else after.”

As she continues treatments, medical bills already total more than $200,000.

To help combat the costs and create a support system around Haley Lichter, “Team Haley” was created on Facebook.

The family also will be holding a fundraiser Tuesday at Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 5755 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake. Throughout the day, customers with a printed coupon will have 15 percent of their food purchase donated to “Team Haley.”

For a free ticket, visit www.facebook.com/HugsForHaley.