Gabriel Maier

Thank you all so much for the outpouring of love, kind words, and support you’ve shared with our family over the past few weeks. Megan and I hope see you all and to respond to all of them someday (even if it is just a hug and thank you), but we have enjoyed every card, conversation, message, and sentiment that has been shared with us while we grieve. As we prepare to celebrate our sweet Marta's life this coming Saturday, October 17th, we want to share a reminder that the celebration of her life will be at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 300 W Maple Rd, Linthicum, MD 21090. We are planning for a personal sharing of Marta's life and poetry, followed by a Lutheran memorial service. All are welcome. Afterwards, we plan to host an outdoor fellowship for all who attended, including light refreshments on the church grounds. If you are able to make it, we would love to have you there with us. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

It is unimaginable to have gone two weeks without Marta, but we remain. We are much the same—overwhelmed with generosity and flooded with friends, family, warmth, gifts, mementos, trinkets, and distractions to keep us from the fact that Marta is no longer here. Our last two weeks have been spent mostly at home. Jane resumed school last week and benefits from the routine and her community at Benfield. Megan and I are both taking long-term leave and learning again what to do with ourselves absent the mental load where Marta's care, our work, and the repository of all of our love for Marta resided. Checking "bingo" boxes has remained our best path. We have small joys and wins to share. We accomplished our "fancy tea" at the St. Regis in Washington, DC, with the support of friends at Marriott. Turning to Jane's bingo card, we attended an early morning tour at the Baltimore Aquarium (also courtesy of our friends and supporters), saw two movies in theaters, and are now in Orlando doing our bootleg Make-A-Wish* trip that Marta had chosen but unfortunately did not survive long enough to attend. Marta dreamed big, and her original wish had been to see penguins in Antarctica, which was out of reach based on her diagnosis. Through a back-and-forth process, we settled on a family Florida vacation to go to SeaWorld and Disney for the week of October 3rd. We received our family t-shirts on September 4th, Marta stopped waking up on September 11th, and she passed on September 18th. We unfortunately learned that the wishee is required for the trip to go on. But we understood, and we are happy for the resources dedicated to Marta to go to another child. We have bingo cards to complete and the resources and network to make any wish come true for Jane in Marta's honor. So here we are (and enjoy the pictures!). SeaWorld and Marriott have gone over the top in making this a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and we are grateful we can still honor Marta's memory with Jane. As a side note, if you ever have the chance to do the SeaWorld Ultimate VIP tour, please ask for Julia as your guide. With this update we are sharing some of these SeaWorld and bingo pictures with our supporters. We are also sharing our final September family video. When we set out to document this year, we believed we had more time, but we also didn't believe that we should stop documenting once Marta's transition began, as this is now part of her too-short life too. We have had some time to absorb all of this, and Megan and I still want to share this last video with our supporters as her progression over the months—and most notably from July through September—is a monument to how catastrophic a diagnosis DIPG is for a child, how little is known in the general population about DIPG (due to its rarity), and what DIPG families experience. We had 9 years with Marta as an able and highly functioning child. We had 4 months of worry and concern at school where we believed she was struggling with anxiety and potentially dyslexia as she fell behind in reading. We had 7 months with Marta from her diagnosis as what was still a normally presenting child who wobbled when she walked, and then we had two months where her ability to speak, walk, talk, hear, chew, swallow, and ultimately breathe and stay conscious was taken from us. Over 300 children in America will be diagnosed with DIPG each year and die. We say "over" because it is too many, but it is still statistically rare. It's about a 0.000645% chance of happening to a child under 12, or about as rare as a non-helment bicycle fatality (and we have heard plenty of public service announcements for those). No one knows why this happens to these kids, there are no known curative treatments, the average length of survival from diagnosis is 11 months, and there is an effectively zero long-term survival rate. We got 9 months with Marta. We don't believe in silver linings in a child's death; it is a failure of society. Because of this, we believe we are charged with the duty to educate people about DIPG. It wasn't our choice to be DIPG experts, but many of our closest friends and family are DIPG experts now too, and so can you. As we navigated her treatment and pediatric hospice, we were also educated on what it's like for your child to die at home with you. There are no attending doctors, no nurses, and no instructions. Marta couldn't wake up. We stayed with her in bed for a week and her perfect, healthy 10-year-old body that her brain could no longer speak to stayed warm with us for 7 days. We have best described it as giving birth in reverse. This was our September 2026. We are honored that we could document this. We love you all. Marta's Celebration of Life will be October 17th at St. John's Lutheran Church in Linthicum, Maryland. We are planning for an outdoor fellowship hour afterwards with refreshments where all are welcome. We are encouraging anyone her life touched to attend. With love, Megan and Gabe

Marta's obituary, including celebration details, can be found below and at https://tinyurl.com/3nchd72y Marta Christine Maier July 18, 2016 – September 18, 2026 Marta Christine Maier, 10, of Severna Park, Maryland, passed away peacefully in her mother Megan Maier’s arms on September 18, 2026, after a brief and courageous journey with the pediatric cancer diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Marta was born on July 18, 2016, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Megan and Gabriel Maier. At the time of her passing, Marta was a fifth-grade student at Benfield Elementary in Severna Park, Maryland. Marta “Beanie” Maier was the intensely loving center of her immediate and extended family. She was an overwhelmingly attentive, supportive, and effusive big sister to her little sister, Jane. She delighted in being the oldest of her twelve cousins and remains their brightest light and role model. Every day of Marta’s ten years was spent spreading joy, warmth, and laughter. During her too-short life, she played the piano and violin, acted, wrote poetry, and loved her friends intensely, especially her “bestie,” Nora Stern. She played soccer and lacrosse, loved swimming at Andover Pool, enjoyed cozy family time, holding babies, movies with her dad, dates with her mom, crafting, art, campfires and s'mores, sleepovers, playdates, travel to see family in Wales and France, and annual beach vacations to Myrtle Beach and Point Pleasant Beach with her extended family. Marta most dedicated herself to her cherished role as Jane’s big sister. Marta and Jane spent seven inseparable years together. Marta began talking to Jane the moment she came home from the hospital and was crestfallen when she learned newborns couldn’t chatter back. Marta walked Jane to pre-school at Linthicum Heights United Methodist Church, introduced her to her friends and teachers at Linthicum Elementary School, and shared with her every “treat-and-treasure” earned from her oncology and radiation appointments. Although three years apart in age, they were the same height and size and shared the same bed, bathtub, clothes, movie preferences, craft books, music interests, and friendships. For Halloween, Marta planned to be a Bar-ba-loot from The Lorax in a group costume with Jane and Nora. Marta dreamed of growing up to be an author, as she didn’t want to go to work and wanted to make a lot of money while staying at home with her family. She dreamed of attending Johns Hopkins University so she could live at home and her dad could still drive her to school every day. Her hope was to grow old but never to be separated from the holiday traditions of warmth and celebration that her mother lovingly created. Marta most looked forward to Christmas, the “Halloween Fairy” visiting to decorate for Halloween, and any chance to watch her “crush”, 38-year-old Harrison Ford, in Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark with her dad. Marta attended school through the entirety of her illness and was supported by the entire Benfield Elementary community. She flourished at Benfield, receiving special support from Assistant Principal Missy Fuson and personal aide Jennifer Atkin. Prior to Benfield Elementary, she was a stellar student at Linthicum Elementary School and fell in love with education through her adored second-grade teacher, Delaney Owens, annual schoolwide celebrations, walking to school, and her many friends. She will be remembered most for her tender heart, sense of humor, and intensely loving nature, which persisted entirely intact through her debilitating journey with cancer. Her struggle with cancer was never a fight or battle, as there was no aggression or anger in her body. She lived with cancer how she always lived—by further burrowing herself into the loving embrace and comfort of her family. She taught those around her that courage is kindness, and bravery can be as simple as persisting in living well even during the absolute worst circumstances. Marta is survived by her parents, Megan and Gabriel; her dearly beloved sister, Jane Frances Maier, who remains the single most important person in her life; her maternal grandparents, Sharon and Christopher Brodie; and her paternal grandparents, Kathleen and Patrick Maier. Aunts and uncles: Devin Maier and Cassia Denton, Gloria Maier and Steven Dean, Martin and Lauren Maier, Elizabeth and Robert Leach, Kevin and Kelly Brodie, and Jennifer Brodie. Cousins: Cullen Brodie, Claire Brodie, Dylan Maier, Liam Maier, Gwendolyn Leach, Aled Leach, Elin Leach, Jac Leach, Cora Maier, Jasper Maier, Cameron Maier, and Logan Maier. Beloved pets: Cats Mr. B and Mow Mow, and her goldfish, Gracie. She was preceded in death by her namesakes: her maternal great-grandmother Marta Krauter and her aunt Christine Maier, as well as her influential great-aunt Maureen O’Bryon and great-grandparents William and Frances Brodie. The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Benfield Elementary School, the Linthicum Elementary community, her medical teams at Children’s National Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children's Center, and her child life specialists for their extraordinary care, dedication, and compassion while helping Marta and her parents navigate a universally terminal diagnosis. Special thanks to our Linthicum and Severna Park communities, and dear friends who assisted with her care, including beloved “mom-friends” Kim Schaefer, Natalie Burns, Amanda Coursey, Tanya Shedlock, Kim Stern, and Damara Bond. Thank you to our community of supporters near and far, including every one of her GoFundMe supporters, for their unwavering love, prayers, and support throughout this journey. A celebration of Marta's life will be held on October 17th at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 300 West Maple Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090. Guests are encouraged to embrace Marta’s favorite colors—light blue and lavender—and butterflies in their attire and attendance. Marta cared deeply about the plight of the homeless and less fortunate, the health of butterflies and pollinators, the environment, and every sea animal. She was an avowed “Nugget-arian” and didn’t believe animals should be harmed or mistreated for food, except for chicken nuggets. Marta’s parents supported Marta in these beliefs and equally care about the plight of other children and families who may experience the scourge of DIPG or a similar diagnosis. They want to raise awareness that rare pediatric diseases and cancers still exist that have no standard curative treatments and effectively zero long-term survivability. They share a core belief that federally and foundation-funded medical research saves lives. Marta died while participating in a Phase II trial of the oral medication ACT001 to treat children and teens with DIPG, and her brain and tumor material was donated to Gift from a Child, a national initiative supported by families who have lost children to brain cancer, to assist with developing future novel therapeutics. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marta’s memory to the DIPG/DMG Collaboration Foundation (https://dipgcollaborative.org/) or Annapolis Light House (https://annapolislighthouse.org/). Information will be made available by the family in the coming days on how we can remember Marta and her love for butterflies and pollinators through gardening.

It is with broken hearts that we share that our sweet Marta passed away peacefully this morning. She was held in the comfort of her mother's arms, and we are surrounded by supporting friends and family who have kept vigil with her this week. We take comfort knowing that she is finally at rest and completely free from pain. We are grateful for the extraordinary outpouring of love, compassion, and support this community has surrounded our family with during Marta’s journey, and most recently since we shared her precipitous decline more broadly. With this update, I am sharing our August family video, which was recorded before her voice was taken from us. I am also sharing her updated Bingo Card. Marta completed her homeless kits this week with the help of her supporters, family, and friends. We plan to continue working on Marta and Jane's bingo cards and will share major updates on our progress with you all. Details regarding a celebration of Marta’s life will be shared at a later date as our family takes this time to grieve. With all of our love and deepest gratitude, Gabe, Megan, and Jane

Megan and I wanted to write a brief update after this weekend to say that we are completely overwhelmed and deeply moved by the tremendous outpouring of love and generosity over the last few days. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for wrapping your arms around Marta and us. I know many of you are new to these updates, and I wanted to reshare some of the girls' "2026 Bingo" journey. Marta completed her Bingo this year when she picked out matching jammies for her and Mommy. Some boxes are still unchecked, and some may remain unchecked with her physical decline, and we are okay with that. We are still hoping to complete her "giving to the poor" box, which she imagined as making care kits for the homeless and handing them out "in the city" directly, but we can always modify. I am also sharing Jane's Bingo card, which, in true second-child fashion, we never finished filling out and have made little progress on, if anyone is seeking inspiration. We love you all. The Amazon man had to use a cart to make our delivery today, so you deserve some pictures. Megan and Gabe

P.S. Marta and Jane love receiving mail (although Marta is better at expressing gratitude...). Marta is obsessed with all things Halloween at the moment and would love to hear from you! 32 Windward Drive Severna Park, MD 21146

Dear Friends and Family, As we move into fall, Megan and I wanted to share an update on Marta and the road ahead for our family. After an incredible summer of travel and activities, including both our shared beach traditions with family, Marta’s journey has entered a much quieter and more challenging chapter. Over the past several weeks, her disease has progressed, and her physical condition has declined significantly. Marta is experiencing complete loss of her hearing and mobility. She is non-verbal and now relies fully on Megan, myself, and other dedicated family members for all of her daily physical needs. In light of these changes and our discussions with her medical team at Children’s National, we have made the decision to pause her treatment on the CONNECT2110 clinical trial. For now, our focus has shifted entirely away from aggressive interventions and toward intensive, loving comfort and care. While navigating this loss of function is heartbreaking and Megan and I are actively grieving the loss, our home and time together remain centered on love, warmth, and Marta’s dignity. Because she experiences the world without sound or movement, our days look very different than they did in the spring and summer. We are pouring 100% of our energy into creating a calm, peaceful sanctuary in our home for her. While this all sounds grim, Marta still has all of her cognition and finds great joy in her days. She loves watching us craft with her, her hand being held, beauty routines with mommy, floating in the hot tub with daddy, and gentle touch/cuddles from her sister and cousins. Miraculously, and as a testament to the incredible support we are receiving from Benfield Elementary, Marta is still attending school in a limited fashion and is officially a 5th grader! She has her own personal aide (Ms. Jen from last year) and a private "meditative" area in the school where she can engage socially and still receive some enrichment by being in the routine of learning. Alongside caring for Marta, our general working-parent responsibilities continue, and in ways, life goes on. Megan is still coaching Jane's soccer team this fall, and we are working to protect and plan for Jane's ongoing emotional well-being as she grows and develops during this period of uncertainty for her sister. Many of you already know, but Megan is expecting, and we are concurrently planning for a new baby girl to join our family in February. To our incredible community of family, friends, and supporters: thank you. The funds, meals, practical help, and heartfelt prayers you have provided us over these past nine months have carried our household this far. Your generosity has made it more possible for us to be fully present by Marta’s side as much as possible, and to spend each day fulfilling Marta's desires, whether it is Olive Garden take-out (again) or more crafts bought at Michael's and Target. With these changes, we are living life one day at a time, but they are still good days. Thank you again, Gabe and Megan Please enjoy some pictures from this summer and our full July baby announcement video (this video was shot before Marta's physical decline).