New Jersey Girl Passes Away, Leaves Legacy Of 'Courage And Grace' For Her Family

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — “Not everything can be fixed, so you have to enjoy it.” These heartbreaking words of wisdom are just a tiny fraction of the legacy that a young student from New Jersey has left behind after passing away from a brain tumor.

Maya Ciprian, 7, died at home surrounded by her family members on Monday. The first-grader attended Brookdale Elementary School in Bloomfield.

According to her obituary, Ciprian endured a 15-month journey with glioblastoma, which she did with “courage and grace.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help support her family in a time of need. Ciprian’s mother is now facing a new cancer diagnosis of her own – which she learned about shortly before her daughter was placed on hospice care (learn more below).

View the fundraiser or make a donation here.

Ciprian’s family and friends have documented the late youth’s medical struggles through a series of updates on the GoFundMe page.

The troubles began in Feb. 21, when Ciprian was sent home from school after suddenly throwing up and feeling dizzy. Back at home few minutes later, she experienced her first seizure and was taken to the hospital for a series of tests.

On March 7, her parents got the devastating news: a biopsy revealed a high-grade aggressive brain tumor. Ciprian then underwent surgery to remove the primary tumor – but the struggle wasn’t over.

The courageous youth’s medical journey played out through a series of updates from her family and friends:

March 25 – “Maya was able to go home after a long, three-week hospital stay filled with so many ups and downs. Maya is laughing, playing with all the care packages that have been sent and will spend some time at home while she recovers from surgery and waits for a treatment plan.”

April 14 – “We recently learned that there was tumor progression, so she had a second more intense surgery, just five days ago at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Maya is back at home and exceeding recovery expectations. Glioblastoma is a rare cancer – and unfortunately there is no cure. Maya has handled her experience with such beautiful grace, smiling, laughing and holding onto kindness every day.”

May 26 – “Late last night, Maya Ciprian passed away at her home. Her loving parents, her grandmother, and her little brother were with her. She fought her cancer with impossible strength since last March, defying the odds time and again, and had so many incredible days full of joy amidst everything she was up against. Maya was a beautiful shining light to everyone she met. A great hole is left in the world without her in it. Her parents, Claudio and Tiffany, are incredible, kind people who should never have had to bear this burden, and yet have shown compassion, and endless resolve at every step of this grueling 15-month journey.”

The 7-year-old was one-of-a-kind, according to her obituary:

“Maya had a curiosity for life, love of learning, and genuine interest in everyone she met. She had an effortless way of making every person feel seen. Maya approached the world with an open heart; she reminded us all of the beauty of wonder and connection. Maya loved playdates, arts and crafts, dancing, and was a Barbie and Pokemon superfan. Her biggest love was her brother, Tony. She was everything her parents ever hoped for.”

“Maya once said during her first hospital stay, ‘Not everything can be fixed, so you have to enjoy it,’” her obituary concludes. “That’s how Maya lived her life.”

In a final act of love and purpose, her family donated her brain to pediatric cancer research, so that Ciprian’s story might guide future discoveries and bring hope to others.

A memorial service will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 1 at O’Boyle Funeral Home, 309 Broad Street in Bloomfield, with a special tribute taking place at 2:30 p.m. Mourners are invited to wear pink in honor of Ciprian’s favorite color. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Tommy Strong Foundation, which provides funding for pediatric brain cancer research and support programs for children and families with the disease.

NEW CANCER DIAGNOSIS

On Thursday, Maya’s mother – Tiffany Ciprian – posted another heartbreaking update, which included a message about her own medical struggles:

“One month ago, as Maya’s health started to shift, I was diagnosed with a new primary cancer unrelated to my previous breast cancer diagnosis. A soft tissue cancer; leiomyosarcoma in my left pelvis. I had significant surgery three weeks ago at Memorial Sloan Kettering and will receive close follow-up. Maya and I share a rare genetic mutation (TP53) linked to a significantly increased risk of cancer—a heavy discovery that occurred after her glioblastoma diagnosis last year.”

In the meanwhile, the mourning for her daughter continues, she added.

“Even in pain, Maya gave us light,” Ciprian wrote. “During challenging times, she still found laughter. She was our amazing girl. Loving her—and being loved by her—was a joy beyond words.”

>> See the GoFundMe campaign for the Ciprian family here

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