Often dressed like her St. Jude doctor, Maizy faces leukemia with strength beyond her years

Maizy, with her tiny glasses perched on her nose and a toy stethoscope dangling around her neck, exudes a sense of purpose and authority. The 3-year-old girl from Alabama has observed her beloved doctor, Ching-Hon Pui, MD, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® performing his doctorly tasks, and she wants to be just like him – but with a 3-year-old’s twist.

Her younger sister, Piper, plays along, lying on the living room floor for Maizy’s examinations. 

“Okay, Piper, let’s see what’s wrong,” Maizy says, placing the stethoscope on Piper’s chest and then her stomach. “Take a deep breath.” 

“Ribbit, ribbit,” Maizy has declared. “There are frogs in your tummy!”  

Piper’s laughter fills the room. 

With a toy syringe, Maizy administers a pretend shot. “All done! You’re so brave, Piper.” 

Piper beams. 

It’s true, their mom, Stefanie, said. Piper is brave, and so is Maizy. Their family of four has had to grow in bravery through Maizy’s diagnosis and treatment for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

It started in November 2023 with swollen lymph nodes that continued growing even after Maizy began taking antibiotics. A CT scan at her local hospital revealed a mass in Maizy’s chest, and soon she was referred to St. Jude.  

Dr. Pui confirmed her leukemia diagnosis, and Maizy began a chemotherapy treatment plan. 

The chemotherapy quickly resulted in her cancer going into remission. Then treatment continued with a goal of killing any hidden leukemia cells and keeping the leukemia from returning. Fortunately, she has been able to receive much of her treatment close to their home through coordination with the St. Jude Clinic in Huntsville, Alabama.

“St. Jude has been the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” Stefanie said.

During the summer of 2024, Maizy experienced a scary anaphylaxis episode caused by an allergy to one of the chemotherapy medicines. Working with St. Jude Clinical Pharmacy Services, Dr. Pui quickly adapted a new plan with a different effective medication that didn’t cause an allergic reaction. 

‘I am brave’

Maizy wears a white dress embellished with a pattern of yellow ribbons signifying childhood cancer awareness. She has arrived at St. Jude for checkups to make sure her body shows no evidence of cancer. Some of the procedures require anesthesia, but undergoing anesthesia can feel disorienting. 

Stefanie eases Maizy’s mind, asking her to repeat words of affirmation. They do this every time, and Maizy has committed these words to memory.

“I am smart, I am kind, I am brave,” says Maizy, knitting her brows in concentration.

Stefanie’s soothing voice coaxes Maizy to keep going. Maizy’s care team circulates throughout the room, doing their work quietly and unobtrusively, so as not to interrupt.

“I am beautiful,” Maizy says. “I am courageous.”

Maizy’s eyes droop as the anesthesia takes effect.

“I love you,” Stefanie whispers and kisses Maizy’s head. “Dream big.”

Back home in Alabama, Stefanie works as a nurse, but she said she’s grateful that at St. Jude, “I can just be Mommy.”

New outlook 

Before cancer, Maizy’s dad, Trey, was a jokester. He liked “keeping things light,” Trey said. He never admitted when he might need help. But now, Trey said, “There are times when I just break down. 

“I can’t do this by myself,” Trey said. “I need prayer. I need time with God.” And he needs St. Jude. 

“Every day we wake up knowing that there’s nobody in the world that we would rather have providing care to our baby,” Trey said. “St. Jude reinforces that every day.” 

Maizy has several months left of chemotherapy. She has blossomed, despite everything.

Now Trey wants to give back and share their story to help others. 

“This journey has broken me down to build me back up,” Trey said. 

Stefanie shared the story of how one day during their first week at St. Jude, she and Trey were crying. Maizy handed them tissue. 

“It’s going to be OK,” little Maizy told them.  

“We cried even more,” Stefanie said, at the sweetness of that gesture and how Maizy couldn’t possibly comprehend the enormity of cancer. 

How could things be OK? 

Their answer has been St. Jude. 

“When we got to St. Jude, it felt like they were picking up the pieces for us,” Stefanie said. “They were showing us that there was a way to hope despite what we were going through.” 

They are OK now.

Maizy was right all along.