Maya’s Legacy Lives On
Many of Bonnie’s most cherished memories of her daughter Maya are the simple ones—her quick and bright smile, the irrepressible giggle she’d unleash when she saw large flocks of birds, how her hair danced in the wind during car rides on sunny days.
Those small moments are always with her and have helped her get through her darkest days. They’ve given her the strength to learn as much as she can about acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the aggressive blood cancer that took Maya’s life when she was just 14 years old. These memories help Bonnie feel connected to her daughter, and they’ve inspired her to honor her spirit.
In her pursuit to understand more about the disease that forever changed her life, Bonnie attended a conference where she heard from Daniel Starczynowski, PhD, a world-class cancer researcher studying myeloid malignancies at Cincinnati Children’s. Bonnie walked up to Dr. Starczynowski and told him about Maya. She was stunned that not only was he familiar with her daughter, but he was using the tissue samples her family donated in his research to help others.
“It was such a full-circle moment,” Bonnie remembers. “Maya lives through us now, and through the Live Like Maya Foundation we established in her honor. And knowing that her physical tissue is helping to find a cure for AML and will save lives, her legacy will live on, and I’m so grateful for that.”
A Leader in Cancer Care
Our Leukemia and Lymphoma Program is one of the largest and most technically advanced referral centers in the country. It’s part of our Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, which is ranked # 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Parents from across the nation and dozens of countries uproot their families to receive care from our experts in rare and relapsed cancers. In fact, of the hundreds of international patients traveling to us for care, many of them come for our cancer programs.
It’s patients like Maya who fuel our specialists to work tirelessly to pursue bold ideas so no family will ever have the heartbreak of losing a child. That’s the inspiration behind Dr. Starczynowski's research and the creation of our new Advanced Leukemia Therapies and Research Center, which opened last year. The center brings together cross-disciplinary experts to accelerate research discovery and develop better treatments for the thousands of families counting on us.
The center’s unique focus on blood cancers is attracting the world’s most respected researchers. While still in its infancy, it’s poised to assemble a dream team that will revolutionize how we treat these devastating diseases.
“Collaboration is big at Cincinnati Children’s,” Dr. Starczynowski says. “And while we partner with organizations around the world, this center is unique because we can physically meet with other experts and build on our work together. It’s really those chance encounters in the hallway or being able to walk down the hall to talk with a colleague that help accelerate our work.”
Donors Move Medicine Forward
Cincinnati Children’s has a rich history of our research discoveries leading to the development of standard treatment protocols for cancer and blood diseases. Experts here will not stop their work until every child is cured, and that’s why we’re able to attract the highest level of talent to join our team. And together with our generous community, we find ways to fund their lofty ideas that might not yet qualify for other traditional funding.
“It could be anything from basic science to looking into medications that already exist but have the potential to treat AML in a new way,” Dr. Starczynowski says. “We look to donors to help us so we can help more patients more quickly.”
It’s fitting that the new center’s first philanthropic gift came in honor of Maya through her family’s foundation.
“Cincinnati Children’s has been like a second family to us,” Bonnie says. “And I’ve been able to track the progress of research. When I met with Dr. Starczynowski a few years ago to tour his research labs, I felt so connected to everything he’s working on. Then, when I learned last year of the new AML research center he’s establishing, I just knew that I wanted to support it.”
The Live Like Maya Foundation gave their largest one-time gift yet to advance this important work.
“Gifts like this one mean a lot,” Dr. Starczynowski says. “We work each day to help kids like Maya live. Her spirit, and all the donations she’s inspired, will change the future for AML screenings, best practices and improved treatments.”
Bonnie is grateful to partner with Cincinnati Children’s, knowing these donations will be just as meaningful as the acts of kindness Maya was known to give, even when she was sick.
“If she ever heard someone was having a rough day or saw someone who needed help, she was quick to find some small way to bring them joy,” Bonnie remembers. The support from the foundation that bears Maya’s name will give hope and encouragement to countless others.
(Published August 2024)
