Maeve the Brave

At just 13 months old, Maeve’s budding life took an unexpected turn. What her mother, Nicole, initially thought was a little potbelly from transitioning to solid foods turned out to be something far more serious. During a check of Maeve’s stomach, doctors discovered a tumor.

The diagnosis of neuroblastoma came quickly, a blessing that improved Maeve’s chances of survival. But by her third round of chemotherapy, Maeve’s little body was struggling. She became dehydrated and emaciated, with dangerously high blood pressure and severe digestive challenges. Then came the devastating news: the tumor was growing despite everything they’d thrown at it.

Maeve had surgery to remove 90% of the tumor and one kidney, but instead of improvement, Maeve’s condition spiraled downward. When her remaining kidney shut down, she began dialysis. For 45 days, her cancer battle took a backseat as she fought for her life in the pediatric intensive care unit. She spent 23 of those days on a ventilator, unable to eat, and sustained only by intravenous nutrition.

Nicole’s description cuts straight to the heart: “She was gaunt and had a big belly – she looked like a starving Victorian child. We were losing our child.”

Hope flickered when her remaining kidney began to work, and she was taken off the ventilator. But the reprieve only meant one thing – it was time to resume her cancer fight. Since standard treatment had failed, she was enrolled in CURE’s Precision Medicine Program, where genetic sequencing revealed something that would change everything. Maeve had a V600E BRAF mutation, typically found in brain tumors, not neuroblastoma.

This rare genetic insight became the key to Maeve’s survival. She began a specialized protocol targeted precisely at her unique mutation. The results were nothing short of miraculous.

“She immediately responded to the medication,” her mother recalled. “Within a week, her digestive issues improved. She started eating again and gained weight. Her cheeks started filling out.”

After three months, her vital signs stabilized. Her blood work normalized. Maeve started eating 1,000 calories daily – a tremendous achievement for a child who had been unable to eat at all.

And there was another precious milestone: walking. Cancer had struck just as Maeve was first trying to walk, leaving her too weak to continue. Then a broken femur further delayed her progress. But at 29 months, Maeve finally took her first steps. These steps were symbolic of her journey from the brink of death to a life filled with hope and possibility.

Today, Maeve is a happy three-year-old little girl who loves being outside and digging her fingers in the dirt. While areas of concern remain and her journey continues, her most recent scans showed no new growth.

“Finding this mutation quite literally saved her life,” her mother said. “We are so grateful for the scientific discoveries that make genetic testing possible, and for CURE’s investment in it.”

Through the Precision Medicine Program that identified Maeve’s unique genetic profile, a child once given little hope now has a future as bright as her brave spirit.