BETTENDORF, Iowa — I think we all can agree that cancer sucks — something 13-year-old Zach Maxwell from Bettendorf, knows all too well.
Zach has osteosarcoma, a very rare cancer targeting less than 20,000 kids total in the U.S. His journey began in late December 2022, when he got a diagnosis of osteoblast osteosarcoma, which starts the timeline for cancer. He sought treatment from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where he endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
"They put me in the hospital for three days where they gave me my first chemo treatment of doxorubicin and cisplatin, and that that makes you lose your hair," said Zach.
Unfortunately, the chemotherapy was not working as well as the doctors hoped, and they left Zach and his mom Jodi with two options.
"Either they could take my arm and my scapula and get the cancer out, or I could wait a little bit and do more chemo and hope that it works and helps," said Zach.
Due to his cancer being the size of a softball, Zach and Jodi chose option one.
"And then on March 6, in the morning, they amputated my shoulder and shoulder blade," Zach said. "They just got rid of the cancer, they took it out of me, or most of it."
Zach's mom went to cancel their family membership from the Bettendorf YMCA because they couldn't afford it anymore. When she went to do that, Luis Leal, the Y's executive director, wouldn't allow that to happen. The Y paid for the families membership, and through communication with Jodi, found out Zach's wish for the Make A Wish Foundation, was an electric bicycle. Luis didn't want Zach to use his wish on a bicycle, and reached out to his people for help.
"And within an hour, one of my board members sends me a text and he's like, will you stop emailing me and just send me the bill, I'm buying this bike," Leal said.
On Saturday, Zach was presented with the bike at the YMCA and like any good mama, Jodi was by his side the entire time.
"He said Mom, God can take both my arms and both my legs, and it'll be okay," Jodi said.
Zach will soon be receiving a robotic arm that he is very excited for. One reason being so he can pinch his sister. He has a few more rounds of chemotherapy until he is hopefully in remission.