John Foy & Associates recognizes that children diagnosed with different types of leukemia live uniquely difficult lives. That’s why the team’s Atlanta, GA, personal injury lawyers take so much pride in the firm’s Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship. This scholarship offers financial aid to students and their families after leukemia drastically changes their lives.
This year, Madilyn Abor has been awarded the Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship. Abor was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) when she was young and miraculously survived. Even so, her diagnosis continues to impact her everyday life.
Abor is set to graduate from Baylor University in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. She’s a Pre-PA track student with a remarkable personal history and a gift for narrative.
The scholarship selection committee with John Foy & Associates was moved by her scholarship essay and hopes its $1,000 in financial aid will help Abor finish her final semester strong.
Abor’s ALL Diagnosis
Abor was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia when she was nine years old. This type of leukemia specifically attacks a person’s blood and bone marrow.
The condition sees a person’s body create immature white blood cells, compromising a person’s immune system and working quickly to destabilize them.
Abor’s ALL treatments moved quickly, taking place over what she calls a “breakneck” three-month period. She underwent numerous surgeries, the first taking place on her second day in the hospital. Unfortunately, she was unconscious in the ICU by her second week of treatment as a result of septic shock and organ failure.
Despite the shocking rate of her decline, Abor experienced an equally shocking recovery. In her essay, she recalls that, “on the seventh day of my struggle, I unexpectedly woke up….my heart began beating on its own….[and] results showed that my motor functions were perfectly normal.” Two blood clots around her heart vanished, and she retook control of her life.
Becoming “Miracle Maddie”
Abor’s stunning turnaround saw her nicknamed “Miracle Maddie,” as neither doctors nor nurses could explain why she healed as quickly as she did.
Abor’s miracle was unique. She recovered, but other children she shared caretakers with didn’t. Her scholarship essay neatly pairs the story of her recovery with the story of the girl in the room next to hers, whose parents bonded with Abor’s throughout the course of their mutual treatments.
“The day I unexpectedly woke up,” Abor recalls, “my dad heard a scream from the next room. The same girl – the one who shared my illness, my age, and even had loving parents like mine – had just passed away.
She had been healthier than me, yet she didn’t survive. I constantly wrestle with the question: Why was I saved and not her?”
Survivor’s Guilt and Healing
Abor’s candid conversation about survivor’s guilt underpins her entire essay. She has, in her words, learned to accept and love the life that she has, but she’s also dedicated herself to efforts determined to better the lives of children impacted by leukemia and other cancers.
She’s also well aware that her childhood ALL has permanently transformed her life, despite her miraculous recovery. It has impacted her chance at natural motherhood and led her to grieve a life that could have been, even as she strives to craft a brighter future for herself.
Scars That Help Others Heal
“Cancer has taken so much from me,” Abor says, “but it has also shaped me into someone I am proud to be. It has given me a new perspective—one that values resilience, empathy, and the power of human connection.”
She notes that this perspective has driven her to work with Camp John Mark, a “haven for children with chronic illnesses and injuries ranging from burn survivors to kids battling cancer.”
She’s had opportunities to share her own experience with ALL in an effort to comfort campgoers and encourage them to look toward the future with hope.
One specific experience saw Abor comfort a camper who didn’t like the new scar from his kidney transplant. “Without hesitation,” Abor says, I knelt beside him, pulled down my collar to reveal the ECMO scars on my neck, and said, “These scars aren’t ugly; they’re badges of strength that show the world how strong we are.”
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What’s Next for Madilyn Abor
Madilyn Abor intends to use the Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship to ease the financial burdens coming with her final undergraduate semester. In her own words, “this scholarship allows me to continue pursuing my dream of becoming a pediatric oncology physician assistant.”
Once she graduates from Baylor University, Abor intends to start working as a medical assistant in an effort to accumulate the patient care hours needed to prepare her for a PA program. She hopes to continue her education in the fall semester of 2027.
Upon completing her education, Abor plans to work as a pediatric hematologist and oncologist. She wants to “stand beside children who need someone to help them see their own strength, and to ensure they know their battles do not define them.”
John Foy & Associates’ “Strong Arm” Leukemia Scholarship
Students directly or indirectly impacted by a leukemia diagnosis have the opportunity to apply for John Foy & Associates’ Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship. The firm requests that applicants complete an original essay between 500 and 1,000 words discussing how leukemia has impacted their lives.
Students should specifically address how they’ve had to adjust their lives in response to a personal or impactful leukemia diagnosis. They can also discuss what obstacles people with leukemia face that aren’t part of the public’s understanding of leukemia.
Finally, students should also detail how this scholarship can benefit their continued education. The paragraph about a student’s financial needs will not count toward their scholarship’s total word count.
The scholarship selection committee with John Foy & Associates invites students to read through the scholarship’s terms and conditions before applying for the 2026 award.
Celebrating Madilyn Abor’s Transformational Life
Madilyn Abor’s scholarship essay walks a fine narrative line. Her ALL diagnosis and “Miracle Maddy” story are only the beginning. Abor depicts the years after her initial diagnosis and treatment as ones plagued by the aftereffects of a debilitating cancer.
Her plans for her future have permanently changed, and she’s been forced to consider the gift of life she’s received. To her credit, Abor seems intent on making the most of every hard-won day she has.
Her work with Camp John Marc and her commitment to her degree inspired the scholarship selection committee. The team with John Foy & Associates has no doubt that Abor will continue to impress as she chases her dreams.
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