Kaua‘i 4-year-old Seeley Borges proves ‘you can make it through anything’

A lovable 4-year-old from Kaua‘i who battled cancer mere weeks after birth is Hawai‘i’s 2026 Children’s Miracle Network Champion for Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

Seeley Borges and her family will spend the next year sharing her remarkable story — being a symbol of hope and resilience to others fighting their own battles against cancer and other diseases.

The announcement was made during a special ceremony attended by her parents Hayley and Shawn Borges, older sister Ainsley Borges, local and national Children’s Miracle Network partners and Kapi‘olani doctors, nurses and staff who helped saved Seeley’s life.

“We are so proud of Seeley,” said her dad Shawn Borges in an announcement about his daughter’s accolades. “Seeing her go through all those adversities proves that you can make it through anything in life.”

Seeley was born in September 2021. She developed a slight but stubborn fever 2 weeks later.

When her parents took her to Wilcox Medical Center in Līhuʻe, it was discovered she had an alarmingly high white blood cell count. Seeley was immediately flown to Kapi‘olani, Hawai‘i’s only full-service children’s hospital.

She was diagnosed soon after with acute myeloid leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer, and not only was it an extremely rare diagnosis for a baby so young, the cancer was also very aggressive.

Seeley would only have days to live if treatment didn’t begin right away.

“I remember Dr. Kyono telling us, ‘You have to trust me. I know what I’m doing,’” said her mom Hayley Borges in the announcement, speaking about Kapi‘olani oncologist Dr. Wade Kyono.

Seeley needed multiple rounds of intense chemotherapy, as well as powerful antibiotics for her weakened immune system. It was a regimen that would’ve tested even the toughest adult.

Still only a few months old, she endured and her cancer went into remission.

Her journey was far from over, however. Because of the cancer’s complexity, Seeley needed a bone marrow transplant in addition to chemotherapy.

There was no shortage of people willing to help, but finding a marrow donor was virtually impossible.

Local news and social media shared Seeley’s story, and thousands came out to community bone marrow drives to see if they met the criteria to be a donor.

While none matched because of her mixed ethnicities, giving up wasn’t an option.

Kapi‘olani worked with a mainland hospital conducting a clinical trial that could allow her mom to be Seeley’s bone marrow donor, even though they weren’t a perfect match.

She went to Seattle to receive the transplant, and though it was successful, Seeley spent several months recovering from side effects.

She returned to Hawai‘i and Kapi‘olani’s care in August 2022, just a few weeks before her first birthday, this time no longer a newborn battling cancer but a champion who defeated the challenges thrown at her.

“The enormity of what she had to face at such a young age, the road that she’s gone through and all the obstacles that she’s overcome are incredible,” said Kapi‘olani neonatologist who treated Seeley as a newborn Dr. Christopher Gibu in the announcement.

Her cancer remains in remission and every few months she visits Kapi‘olani, where she sees many of the familiar team members who cared for her throughout her cancer journey.

“The special part about being in Hawai‘i is the sense of ʻohana,” said Kyono in the announcement. “We get to know our patients so well. It’s like Seeley’s my granddaughter.”

Seeley and her family are excited to inspire and encourage people throughout Hawai‘i during her Children’s Miracle Network Champion year.

“Thank you for helping me!” Seeley told the Kapi‘olani team.

Her special Champion pin, designed by her family and local artist Kelsie Dayna, features:

• Two types of ginger plants representing Seeley’s middle name ʻAwapuhi.
• They also portray healthy red and white blood cells, which Seeley now has.
• The plants are brought together by a gold ribbon, representing childhood cancer awareness.
• The “S” at the end of the ribbon is for Seeley.
• Together, the elements create a garden — a nod to Seeley’s Garden Isle home of Kaua‘i.

“The Champions put a face to what might otherwise be a textbook diagnosis,” said Diamond Bakery President Butch Galdeira in the announcement. “They remind us that behind every medical journey is a child full of dreams, a family held together by love and a future filled with possibility.”

Diamond Bakery is one of many Children’s Miracle Network partners that support Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

Kapi‘olani relies on community support to care for families in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region, with 100% of every dollar donated staying in the islands to help local keiki.

“Through their bravery and grace, [the Children’s Miracle Network Champions] move us to action, showing us the power of perseverance and the importance of giving back to make a difference for every child,” Galdeira said.