A Parents Plea In The Help To Fight Childhood Cancer

    Maggie Schmidt was a healthy and happy 16-year-old Greenlawn teenager when she was suddenly diagnosed in October 2016 with a very rare and aggressive cancer – Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors. Maggie lost her battle on June 1, 2017.
    Maggie’s mom, Donna, said “If someone were to tell us a year ago that our only daughter wouldn't be here now, we would not have believed it. She was the healthiest person we knew. But cancer doesn't care how healthy you are. Very sadly, the medical community seems to know very little about rare pediatric cancers. Even sadder is that doctors don't often listen to parents when they know there is something very wrong with their child. I begged and pleaded for help with Maggie but was turned away multiple times, until it was too late. We need to change the way doctors listen. We need to raise awareness and increase funding for research.”  
    Before Maggie died, she asked her parents, Donna and Steve, to help other children and young adults who are diagnosed with childhood cancers. This has become Maggie’s Mission. The Schmidts learned that rare childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded, with only 4% allocated from federal funding going toward finding cures. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the U.S.
    Maggie was a daughter, sister, granddaughter, cousin, and friend. She loved babies and children, music, animals, athletics – basically everything life had to offer. She read music, played violin, piano, guitar, rode horses, surfed, practiced yoga, was on the school cheer team, snowboarded, and did really cool theatrical make-up. 
    She was confident and didn't need or seek approval from others. Maggie’s parents were proud of her and joked that she'd make a great CEO or director someday, as she was most definitely confident and self-assured. 
    Maggie wrote a bucket list in early 2016. Her list included seeing the Northern Lights, traveling cross country, hiking the Grand Canyon (again), and “legitimate” rock climbing. Sadly, she never got to complete her bucket list. She did get to hike the Grand Canyon with her family in 2014. On the way back up from the canyon, the weather turned. Rain turned to hail and unprepared hikers were chilled to the bone. Maggie immediately began sharing extra clothing and gear to help those people in need. 
    Steve Schmidt, Maggie’s father writes “She was so full of life and had an incredible spirit that drew people to her”. Maggie filled the ‘Schmidt House’ with music and friends and made their house a home on Boulevard Avenue.   
    “The Boulevard will never be so full of love and life again.”  A line from a song from one of Maggie’s favorite bands – The Red Hot Chili Peppers who befriended Maggie when they met her at a concert last February 17th, 2017. After meeting her, the band invited Maggie to as many concerts as her body would allow. Josh Klinghoffer, the lead guitarist attended Maggie’s wake and funeral services, for which her family is forever grateful to the band and to Josh.
    While cancer and the treatment changed Maggie Schmidt physically, it strengthened her spiritually. She said she wanted to help find a cure so other children would not suffer like she did. We believe Maggie was destined for greater things. Her spirit is the force behind Maggie’s Mission.
    Help us fight childhood cancer by visiting www.maggiesmission.org