Meet Our Champions

When Marley was 6 years old, she began showing unusual symptoms including fatigue, emotional withdrawal and even the use of her legs. When her neighborhood pediatrician couldn’t give her family answers, they turned to Cincinnati Children’s. Scans revealed a baseball-sized tumor in the center of her brain. She underwent a 15-hour emergency craniotomy, followed by weeks in the pediatric intensive care unit and rehabilitation. Five weeks later, the tumor had regrown, leading to a second craniotomy and six weeks of daily radiation. Two years later, her team discovered Moyamoya Disease, a rare radiation complication, and the next year she underwent a third craniotomy to improve blood flow to her brain. Through it all, Marley’s care team provided expert, compassionate treatment. Marley is now a joyful, thriving 11-year-old, living life to the fullest while continuing to be closely monitored by the specialists who saved her life.