Updated: Monday, 12 Dec 2011, 9:21 AM EST
Published : Thursday, 17 Nov 2011, 5:11 PM EST
(WTNH) - In a 2006 interview with Hayley Petit she was raising money, to help
her mom.
News 8 made sure her father Dr. William Petit got a copy.
In 2007 Petit lost his wife and two daughters to a brutal home invasion
attack. Both men involved in the crime have been sentenced to death.
Following Petit's wishes, News 8 is releasing the tape of Hayley after the
decision in the penalty phase of the Komisarjevsky trial had been reached.
It was a spring morning in 2006 when 16-year-old Hayley was getting
ready for an annual tradition.
Her mother Jennifer
had Multiple Sclerosis, and she was raising money at the MS walk in
"My mom
was diagnosed with MS when I was in fourth grade, so eight years ago, and since
then we've had a family team called Hayley's Hope. And every year we come
out and walk, and raise money and hopefully raise awareness, and help the
research for a cure," said Hayley.
Hayley was passionate about fighting
her Mom's disease. Through her short life she raised more than $50,000 in the
battle against MS.
In the 2006 walk alone she raised $5,000.
"To
raise money I write letters to all of our friends and family, and people are
really generous so that works very well. And that's what I've been doing every
year. I usually talk a little bit about how my mom is doing, and this year I
added a little bit about the new research and I think people it really opens
them up to donate," said Hayley.
On that April morning, 15 months to the
day before the brutal attack that ended her short life Hayley Petit was feeling
lucky, lucky that her mother was doing so well.
"It
was really hard at first, luckily my mom is doing really well, and I know there
is other people who aren't as lucky, but it's
definitely something that she has to deal with every day, so I'm glad that this
is one of the ways that I can help," said Hayley.