'She loves her city.' Kenner Bruh Facebook group rallies around creator with cancer

With more than 20,000 members, the We Are Kenner Bruh™ Facebook group is a lively forum for all things happening in Kenner.

Looking for a lost dog? A restaurant recommendation? A helping hand?

You'll likely get a response from Seyli Molina, who started the page more than a decade ago, in part, she said, to "empower my community to do for themselves and each other."

That mission has come full circle in recent weeks, as the group has rallied to lift up Molina, helping to repair her home as she battles endometrial cancer.

It began in October, after Molina's physician told her she had less than a year to live.

Molina notified her fellow Facebook page moderators that given her prognosis, she would likely take a step back from watching over the group.

That's when Arrena Hilliard, one of the moderators, decided to create a GoFundMe.

The goal of the fundraiser — which is titled "Seyli's wish …" — is to raise $30,000 to repair Molina's home, which was devastated by Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Like many residents in Kenner, Molina's recovery from the Category 4 storm has been hampered by her insurance carrier. Her home sustained around $180,000 worth of damage, but her insurer only paid out around $100,000.

With her home in disrepair, Molina has lived with extended family for much of the past two years, even as she underwent cancer treatments.

"I knew we had to do something to get her home," Hilliard said. "And I knew she'd never ask for help."

The fundraiser came as a surprise to Molina, and in just over a week, it helped raise more than $11,000 and pay for new kitchen cabinets, lighting and floors.

The Original Italian Pie in Kenner also said it will donate $1 from the sale of every large pizza between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30 to help Molina.

"It has made me feel completely humbled and grateful," Molina said. "When you band together there's no stopping with what you can do."

Molina is proof that you don't need to be an elected official to be a public servant.

Posting on the We Are Kenner Bruh™ Facebook page, she helped find housing in 2019 for an elderly homeless couple she spotted outside a Burger King.

"She loves her city," Hilliard said. "She sees the issues and instead of ignoring them or making excuses for them she just starts trying to fix whatever's wrong."

"She's literally given everything she can to help her community," Hilliard said.

Arita Bohannan, who was recently elected to 4th District post on the Parish Council, said Molina is a "shining example of strength and kindness."

"Her unwavering dedication to our city has touched countless lives," Bohannan said. "It's our turn to give back to her as she battles cancer in its final stages so that she knows that she is not alone in her fight."

Born in Cuba, Molina emigrated to the United States in 1980, arriving first in Miami before landing in Kenner.

The 48-year-old notary prides herself on fostering communities online and also started the City of Kenner Politics and Homeschooling in Kenner Bruh Facebook pages.

Lately, she's taken to Facebook to urge women to get regularly tested for cancer and to consider getting a hysterectomy if they're not planning to have children. She wishes she signed up for a life insurance policy with living benefits, which provides financial support following a diagnosis with a terminal illness.

She also wants to see political leaders do more to regulate industries along the Mississippi River that emit cancer-causing pollutants.

And she isn't done searching for a remedy for her cancer. With help from the fundraiser, she's hoping to seek out a second opinion.

"I'm not ready to give up the fight," she said. "I'm too young. I have too much life and energy to give up at this point."