Hazel Hammersley has been sent dozens of pizzas (Picture: Lauren Hammersley)

A Los Angeles children’s hospital has asked well-wishers to stop sending pizza to a two-year-old cancer sufferer after a message from her mother took Reddit by storm.

Hazel Hammersley is a patient at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles where she is receiving chemotherapy treatment for neuroblastoma of the abdomen.

To help raise her spirits, Hazel’s mother Lauren put up a sign up in the window with medical tape reading: ‘Send Pizza RM 4112’.

A user posted this picture on Reddit (Picture: Imgur / ashortstorylong)

A passer-by later snapped the sign and posted in on Reddit with the caption: ‘Photo taken outside Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Smart Kid.’




More than 20 pizzas had been sent by Sunday evening after the post began attracting attention online, forcing the hospital to issue a statement asking users to stop sending pizza.

‘Thank you to the compassionate Reddit users who saw this photo and responded with a pizza delivery,’ it said.

‘If you’re on Reddit and have seen the adorable photo below, please help Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and patient mom, Lauren Hammersley spread the word: You’ve made a little girl very happy but NO MORE PIZZA IS NEEDED.

‘On behalf of the Hammersley family, thank you for spreading the word and we hope the photo of Hazel with a successful pizza delivery received spreads just as far and fast as the original photo has.’

Hazel’s mother puts up the pizza sign (Picture: Lauren Hammersley)

Her mother said it ‘all went bananas’ after the post hit Reddit, with staff at the hospital organising a ‘Pizza Party’ for the children.

‘Several other children and nurses came into the room, with music playing, and had themselves a wonderful Pizza Party,’ she explained on Hazel’s blog. ‘We had such a great time!

‘We have been absolutely humbled and surprised by the outpouring of love and support from the online community.’

Children at the pizza party (Picture: Lauren Hammersley)

She now hopes Hazel’s story will help raise awareness about neuroblastoma, a common cancer among infants.

‘Awareness and funding is severely lacking, and to help get better treatments and outcomes for our children, we need all the support we can get,’ she said.

Pizza fan: Hazel (Picture: Lauren Hammersley)