Westland girl celebrates being cancer free

Metro Detroit 4-year-old still focused on raising money to help other sick children

WESTLAND, Mich. – Ringing a bell might not be a big deal to many, but for Madi Siedel, it marks an important milestone in her young life.

Madilynn Jade Seidel is known to many as just Madi.  She is a a four-year-old girl from Westland who has spent two of her four birthdays in Children's Hospital of Michigan, but when she celebrates her fifth birthday in August, she will be at home and she will be cancer free.

She has spent most of her life fighting leukemia, but her mother Nicole said there is no stopping her daughter's spirit.

"When you expect her to be down and out, she is up times ten," said Nicole Siedel, Madi's mother.   

She celebrated the end of her fight with cancer by ringing a bell at Children's Hospital of Michigan.

"For two and a half years she sat here and watched other kids," said Nicole Seidel.  "She would say, 'Mom, I just can't wait to ring that bell.'"

The one thing Madi won't miss from having cancer are what she calls the chest pokes. She is happy she no longer has cancer or the chest pokes, but she feels for the other children who are still sick and grieves for those who didn't make it.

"When she's down it's because she's thinking about people that have passed away," said Nicole Seidel.

At just 4 years old, Madi has found ways to help other sick children including raising money for Team MJ for the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. In December she organized an ice cream social to help send the family of a sick child to 'Give Kids The World,' a resort near Orlando Florida's Disney theme parks.

This summer Madi will walk for the Children's Leukemia Foundation to continue raising money for other sick children.

Nicole Seidel said they often think of the other patients in the hospital and relish the friendships they have made in their cancer battle.

"If I could somehow have all the experiences and all the friends that we've made without the cancer in the background, that would be amazing," said Nicole Seidel.

Seidel has learned a lot as she helped care for her daughter that she hopes to pass on to other families.   

"Just be your child's advocate, you don't have anybody when you walk in to Children's Hospital your child has you," said Nicole Seidel.

Madi has captured the attention of 16-year-old Bella, the entrepreneur and founder of Origami Owl Custom Jewelry.  The founder flew her to Arizona for a conference in Arizona where the founder recognized her with a product announcement, a charm tag called "Miracle."