Donors celebrate local girl's life

OGDENSBURG — The selfless people who gathered years ago on behalf of Maya Gordon, gathered once more, Saturday Sept. 23, to celebrate the miracle of her life.
When Maya was 8 months old, she was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) – a rare blood disease.
Since then, she has received bone marrow transplants, T-cell transplants, and chemotherapy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she, mother Shana, and father Kris spent around two years of their lives.
In between setting out food for the brunch celebration at 12 noon, Shana said about Maya, “She's healthy; she's happy — despite the odds that were against her, in so many ways.”
Kris said, after loading drinks on ice, “Tough little kid. She's a survivor.” He added, meeting Maya's donor was fantastic; and her transplant doctor, Dr. Dave Barrett, “is a fantastic guy.”
Barrett, who also attended the celebration, said, “A lot of people were very self-less in trying to help a little girl get better and have a normal life.” He added, “That includes her parents, her donor who gave not once — but twice — and certainly a lot of the people at the hospital, who helped them get through it.”
“People come together,” continued Barrett, “when children are sick, and that's really the story that happened here. People came together, and Maya is well because of it.”
Melissa Wood, Maya's bone marrow donor, and husband David Wood traveled from California to New Jersey. for the celebration at the Ogdensburg Volunteer Fire Department Hall. Melissa, an extremely humble person, continually deflected praise saying, “It's not me; it's God.”
She said, when she found out she was going to be the bone marrow donor to a baby girl, the first thing she said was, “Thank You, God. I get to be a part of this. I want to help make this baby girl better, and here we are.”
Wood also emphasized the importance of people joining the, “Be the Match” registry, in order to help others.
Maya remembered, with Melissa, the first day they met in-person was Friday, Sept. 22, the anniversary of her second bone marrow transplant. Before that, they had communicated through Skype and email.
Maya was 3 years-old when she received the second transplant.
At the celebration, Melissa and Maya wore matching blue flower wrist bouquets, in honor of Histiocytosis Awareness month in September. They also colored together HLH blue banners; and Maya wrote on her coloring, “I did it. You can do it, too.”
A beautiful, supportive family also attended. Grandparents, including “Grandma Pat” and George Sabourin, Maya's four aunts — Shana's sisters, uncles, cousins, friends, and “big sisters” from CHOP all celebrated with Maya.
Grandma Pat said Maya's donor and husband are a great couple, who “did so much for my granddaughter.” She, too, added, “God has been very good to us. I'm so glad and thankful that she is doing so well.”
Children danced, played, and ran with balloons. Later, Eddie and the Briquettes provided dinner, thus, continuing the celebration.
Some of the D.J. songs played included: “'Caus I'm Happy” and “Livin' on a Prayer.”
Maya said, “I can't wait 'til Mon,” when she went to the Statue of Liberty with Melissa.
Neither Melissa nor Maya had ever been to the Statue of Liberty before, but they both made a new memory together on Monday.