Maverick is a wild child who never let cancer break his spirit. He’s like Stitch, small but destructive, and loves keeping his mom on her toes daily. But he is also the most loving little boy, always making sure to include everyone. If he gets a special treat at the grocery store while his sister is at school, he makes sure she has something waiting for her when she gets home. He is great with numbers, likes the Mario and Sonic video games, enjoys all things Disney (especially Mickey Mouse), loves pizza, spaghetti, and music: his favorite songs come from the movies Sing! and The Wild Robot. Since treatment has ended and he has been able to be around people more with less stress of sickness, he has gone from being an Introvert to an extrovert (when leaving the grocery store, he has to say “bye” to everyone on his way out!)

Maverick’s cancer diagnosis happened quickly. “It was like we found the first symptom on day one, and by day three he had a cancer diagnosis,” said Jayme, Maverick’s mom. It started with nonstop nose bleeds, then bruises they were told were typical for a 20-month-old learning to control his body, and finally a petechiae rash from his fingers to his shoulder. Since he was so little, he couldn’t express much, and Jayme didn’t know what to do.

After a call to the pediatrician’s office, Maverick went for bloodwork. Jayme explained that she had a blood disorder she was afraid had been passed on to her son, but tests revealed that Maverick did not have this blood disorder – he had blood cancer.

Maverick was loaded in an ambulance and taken to the hospital in downtown Chicago where he would spend the next eight days. There, he was officially diagnosed with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on July 14, 2022.

“This was the beginning of a long road ahead of us,” said Jayme.

The very next day, Maverick had his port placed to receive his first bone marrow biopsy, his first spinal tap, and his first round of chemotherapy. After about four weeks of this induction phase, he had another bone marrow biopsy, which luckily showed no evidence of disease. This was followed by the consolidation phase, six months of spending multiple days in and out of the hospital receiving high-dose chemotherapy via a 24-hour drip. Maverick underwent three more phases to make sure no cancer cells lingered in his body.

The maintenance phase lasted about a year and a half and included daily oral chemo, monthly clinic visits with an IV, and a spinal tap every three months.

On October 28, 2024, Maverick took his last dose of chemo, and on his 4th birthday he rang the bell to celebrate finishing treatment!

Today, Maverick is now almost 1,000 days off treatment, and just had his second positive off-treatment check-up.

“Mighty Maverick is my hero because he shows what it means to be a superhero,” said Jayme. “He always showed cancer that he was in charge and that he was gonna win. His smile and his bubbly, wild boy personality never went away. Some days, he would be a little slower than others, but he never really slowed down. We would always get comments from people about how if they didn't know he was fighting cancer, they would have never been able to guess (aside from his bald head). He is my hero because he reminds me what it is to be resilient. He reminds me what it means to look my fears in the face and tell them "You’re no match for Mighty Maverick!" Of course, he is my hero because he was only 20 months old at diagnosis, and only 4 years old now and he has shown me what it means to truly live and enjoy everything life has to offer.”

Jayme hopes Maverick continues to stay healthy throughout the rest of his life and to make up for the lost time in treatment by living the happy way he is living now, like a normal child. She dreams for him to grow old with someone he loves after having kids of his own, and realizing just how beautifully amazing his life was. Personally, she hopes to continue her education to one day work in the oncology field helping other families in situations like hers.

To those families who may also be navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis, she offers community. “This journey is going to be long,” she said. “This journey is going to be hard. This journey is going to suck. There are going to be bad days, worse days, but there will always be better days, and even some best days. Do not let the diagnosis stop you from continuing to be a kid. Always remember to be a kid first. This journey isn't fair. This journey just doesn't care who you are, or what you have going on in life. But, it does bring the best people into your life. People who are there to learn from, people who are there to cry and laugh with. There are people all over that don't know you or your story, but they are working endlessly within their abilities to continue advancing cancer research forward. That is why foundations such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) are so important!”

To Jayme and her family, ALSF means just that: family. She loves and appreciates the community she has fallen into, people who she never imagined she’s cross paths with. “You end up a part of a club that no one wants to be in, yet we are all forced here beyond our control,” she said. “The people who are a part of the Foundation behind the scenes, and the families that come to ALSF looking for support, they are all part of our family now. Often, the sad stories everyone tells turn into those of miracles and hope. I love seeing people from all over come together with a common goal of helping kiddos.”

In 2023 and 2024, Jayme, Maverick, and their family held lemonade stands during Lemonade Days through Mom’s Take a Stand with Momcology. They are also One Cup at a Time monthly giving club members.

“WE LOVE LEMONADE!!!” – Maverick and family

Information provided by Jayme G., Maverick’s mom
Updated March 2025