Maddy’s Story

Maddy was an incredible, fierce feisty girl. She was Hannah’s twin sister. Her smile, nose scrunch and side eye, could make your heart melt immediately. Her battle with Infant Leukemia was that of storybooks.

She fought every, single, day. A real life superhero. And, through it all, she smiled, laughed and loved. She most dearly loved her sister, her parents and her best pal, Rupert the wub-a-nub pacifier. 

Maddy was diagnosed with infant leukemia (a genetic variant) at just four months old. She spent most of her life in and out of hospitals. Yet, because of the amazing team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), our incredible insurance, our community and the loving care Maddy received at CHOP, she was treated as an individual patient, not as a protocol. Because of this support and individualized care, she was able to live three months at home with her family, fully paid by insurance, friends and family. Maddy went to the swings every day, she had late-night “dance parties,” she snuggled with her sister.

Just as she was about to go to Bone Marrow Transplant with her sister as her donor, her disease quickly and rapidly changed types. The odds were stacked against her - yet she kept on going. Maddy never gave up.

Even on her last day, she fought and loved so hard to make sure every single immediate family member was in the room. She moved mountains. She is missed so much.

Now, our mission is to work with families by supporting them in the loving, kind way we were supported during Maddy’s life. No family should have to go through what we did. And, if they do, we want to help create a community and support net to keep families together and live joyful lives.

One of our favorite Maddy stories is how much she loved bows. When Maddy was going through treatment, she lost her hair. Her sister, Hannah, wore a bow every day. And, every day Maddy was home, she would crawl right up to Hannah and take that bow out of her hair! When Maddy finally had enough hair to stick a little bow in it, after the clip, her face beamed. Each morning, she would pick what color bow to place in her growing hair curl. Even at the hospital, we put a new bow in her hair every day.

That’s why our logo is a bow. It might start out as a piece of string with two ends, but when you put them together, it creates an infinity sign that lasts forever - just like Maddy.

In love,

Madelyn James Founders, Jackie, Dan & Hannah Didio