CLEVELAND — On Friday, a 19-year-old cancer survivor who had to learn to walk and talk again danced the night away in Ohio City.
It was a perfect night on the patio at Gordon Green, and Maya Marquette of Cuyahoga Falls planned the evening for all her special people.
A few years ago, Maya was in the fight of her life.
"I got diagnosed at 16 years old in October 2020 in the midst of COVID-19. It was kind of a crazy time; we were all like, 'what's going on with all the world changes,'" Marquette said.
She continued, "I suffered from a medicine toxicity where I lost the ability to talk, walk, use the right side of my body. So, I had to undergo tons of therapy, but I am here standing, moving, walking, talking perfectly fine."
Through A Special Wish Northeast Ohio, Maya was given the chance to do anything, go anywhere, and she chose to celebrate others.
"I have been involved in probably hundreds of kids' wishes since we started doing this since I started working at Akron Children's, and this really stands out; it's just so generous," said Dr. Prasad Bodas, hematologist and oncologist at Akron Children's Hospital.
Bodas is happy to see Maya outside the hospital these days. After two and a half years of treatment, it's easy to see their bond.
"It was COVID-19 for all of us, so we were all locked down; other people were at home. We weren't at home. We were coming to work, and it was tough, so having people like Maya around really made it fabulous," Bodas said.
Maya is now in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia with big plans ahead.
"I'm going to nursing school next week to be an RN, hopefully for pediatric oncology nursing. The nurses in there, they inspired me. Cancer is like a big scary word. And it has its scary moments, but it's really changed my life for the better," Marquette said.
Maya and her Mom are starting a non-profit called Glimpses of Grace, a place where teens going through a cancer journey can connect.
"Maya on a bad day is like anybody else...just on the best day of their lives," Bodas said.
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