Hafsa Housseyni: 2026 Riley Champion presented by Kroger

Every time Hafsa Housseyni paints a picture, she includes a sunrise. It reminds her to always find something to look forward to, even on the dark days.

“My cancer was my sunset,” she said, “but it gave me my biggest sunrise — Riley.”

Hafsa’s sunset started in September 2024 with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes. At an urgent care clinic, Hafsa’s mother, Oumou, asked to send off a throat swab for further testing.

The next day, the doctor called and said, “Wherever she is, get her and go straight to Riley.”

The emergency department at Riley Children’s Health confirmed a diagnosis of mixed phenotype acute leukemia. Hafsa started treatment the same day under the guidance of Emily Mueller, M.D., and Allison Yancey, M.D.

The first few months brought frightening complications and only rare days away from Riley Hospital for Children. Hafsa spent time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and needed a chest tube to drain fluid from her lungs.

Hafsa loved art before her diagnosis, but the donor-funded Riley Art Therapy program gave her a new appreciation. Activities like painting or playing with clay helped her forget about being in the hospital. During a jewelry-making phase, she took requests from every nurse on the oncology floor.

Art therapy supports patients’ family members, too. Oumou recalls feeling like “a robot” after Hafsa’s diagnosis. She couldn’t sleep for days. Then she went to her first session with a Riley Art Therapist. By the end of their conversation, Oumou realized the piece of clay in her hands was “destroyed.”

“I slept that night,” she said. “I was able to just let it all out on that clay.”

Oumou, Hafsa, and her brother Hamza shared pieces in the annual Riley Art Therapy Art Show, and Hafsa spoke to a local news station about the program’s benefits.

“Hafsa has demonstrated that even in the face of adversity, one can contribute meaningfully and joyfully to the lives of others,” Riley Art Therapist Emily Slavich, who nominated Hafsa for the Champions program, said.

“Everybody is so amazing because they’re such good advocates for us,” Hafsa shared about her Riley care team. She currently receives outpatient chemotherapy weekly and is staying on track with her classmates with guidance from Riley Educational Liaison Stacy Willett.

"Every child deserves to be loved and supported."

“Every child deserves to be loved and supported. That’s exactly what Riley has given to me,” Hafsa said. “Riley gives hope just like a sunrise.”