JULY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 27
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
MAGGIE’S MISSION: A PROMISE KEPT By ROB PELAEZ
Behind every child diagnosed with
pediatric cancer, there is a family
fighting an arduous battle. In the case
of Maggie Schmidt of Greenlawn, that
battle became an enduring mission.
In October of 2016, the then-16-yearold
girl met her life-altering diagnosis
of malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT),
a rare and aggressive cancer that occurs
mostly in infants and toddlers.
When she consistently complained
of increasing pain, her family knew
something was very wrong.
“Maggie had a very high tolerance
for pain,” says Maggie’s mother,
Donna DeSousa-Schmidt. “It was all
very hard — the speed at which the
illness struck and the complete lack of
availability of life-saving treatments.”
As the cancer resisted treatment
and overtook her once healthy body,
it did not diminish her spirit. One of
Maggie’s final wishes to her family
was having her spirit live on through
helping others.
And so began Maggie's Mission. The
nonprofit foundation’s goal is to fund
life-saving research and aid families
that have been affected, while also
raising awareness.
“Research for cures for pediatric
cancers is completely underfunded,”
DeSousa-Schmidt says, specifically
indicating that less than 4 percent of
federal funds go toward finding cures
for childhood cancers and even less
for the type of sarcoma Maggie had.
From events such as Maggie‘s
Challenge, held in schools during
Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month in September, to a one-mile
New Year’s Day race, a high school
concert, and an Angelversary Gala,
people have come together to not only
celebrate Maggie’s life, but to honor
and help those in similar situations.
Since Maggie’s battle with MRT ended
on June 1, 2017, her foundation has
raised nearly $700,000. Some of that
funding has gone directly into MRT
research at Memorial Sloan Kettering,
while more than $50,000 has been donated
to helping families financially.
“Typically one parent must stop
working to care for the sick child, so
not only is there a huge emotional
toll but also a tremendous financial
strain,” says DeSousa-Schmidt.
“We’ve all come together to fulfill
Maggie’s wish.”
We pride ourselves on being
EXPERIENCED, INNOVATIVE and AGGRESSIVE.
At Camacho Mauro Mulholland, LLP, we care about the wellbeing and
health of our families. That is why we represent victims and families
of those subject to nursing home neglect, elder abuse, and substandard
care at nursing homes.
Whether elderly or those prematurely rendered frail due to illness or
disability, nursing homes owe a special duty of care to the residents
that call their facilities home.
Do you have a loved one who has:
• Fallen?
• Become severely ill?
• Passed away due to substandard care and treatment?
If you believe that you or a loved one was subjected to and
suffered from nursing home abuse, contact Camacho Mauro
Mulholland for a no cost consultation.
We prosecute nursing homes that put financial gain over the
health and well-being of their residents.
CAMACHO MAURO MULHOLLAND, LLP
Attorneys at Law
40 Wall Street, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10005
Email: NewYork@cmmattorneys.com • Phone: 646-753-8333
To learn more about the mission,
visit maggiesmission.org.
Maggie Schmidt's battle with pediatric
cancer has turned into the
nonprofit Maggie's Mission.
/maggiesmission.org
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