Madeline “Maddy” Justice was 13 years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia or AML. She immediately started her initial treatments and followed with a bone marrow transplant, but in just a few short months after her transplant, Maddy relapsed.
A cancer like AML is tough to beat; doctors told us there is no protocol of treatment for relapsed AML. But we had to try, and it was agreed that another bone marrow transplant was Maddy’s best chance for survival. We found a research trial and she underwent a second bone marrow transplant.
During Maddy’s fight with cancer, she endured 11 rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, two bone marrow transplants and a multitude of other procedures and painful side effects. Through it all, she remained positive and became an inspiration to countless people.
Despite her struggles, she blessed all who knew her. She reminded us about the importance of the little things in life, taught us about perspective and showed us that no matter what difficulties you face in life, you always have a choice in how you handle it.
Yet, at fifteen, Maddy lost her battle with AML, but her lesson to all of us lives strong: “Every day I have two choices: mope around and realize how much at war my body really is, or accept the fact on what is going on and keep on shining. I like to choose the second one.” — Maddy Justice, Nov 11, 1998-Nov 29, 2013.