For 18-year-old Mya Gilchrist, the title of Kid Captain has been a long time coming.

Mya, who hails from Center Point, Iowa, has applied to be a Kid Captain multiple times over the last decade, first coming to the University of Iowa for treatment in 2007. This weekend, Mya will cheer on the Hawkeyes as the third 2024 Kid Captain this season. 

Mya came to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics when she was diagnosed with a tumor on her brainstem, called a malignant pilocytic astrocytoma, at 18 months old. Her journey has been a long one. Surgeons at the hospital removed the majority of the tumor and Mya then underwent 74 weeks of chemotherapy. 

The tumor returned twice after her initial treatment of chemotherapy when she was five and 12, respectively. Each time, different chemotherapy treatments resulted in a decrease in her tumor size, which is still being monitored today.

In 2023, Mya went in for a check-up after experiencing fatigue and an inability to focus. The result of blood tests showed a mutation in her blood cells that was causing them to be made at a very high level, making her blood too thick. Since then, Mya has had blood removed from her body at UIHC every couple of weeks.

Through it all, Mya has remained one of Dr. David Dickens’ easiest patients to work with. Dickens, the UIHC’s Clinical Director of Pediatric Oncology Services, has treated Mya since 2021.

“A lot of people have issues in their life that they’re struggling with, and to see people who know her story and what you see in front of you, as you interact with her, you would be surprised to see all the details of that medical history and all the names of the drugs she’s been on over time,” Dickens said of Mya.

Dickens added that she makes the experience of providing care to someone feel very positive.

“There are a lot of people, and I’m sure she’s no different, who struggle with the fairness of their situation,” he said. “Could be medical, could be social, it’s easy to focus on the negative, and I can’t help but wonder if she doesn’t do that. But she has an ability, which some people have and some people don’t, to conduct herself as if she had none of these problems.”

The treatments and relapses never stopped Mya from having fun; she plays sports like softball and dance, goes to high school, and loves practicing her photography skills. She also works as a certified nursing assistant and loves serving residents and “being able to be there for others and help them get to enjoy their days.”

Mya said she’s taking prerequisite courses for nursing, and once she graduates high school, plans to go to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and become a registered nurse. She said she’s deciding between working in pediatrics or geriatrics.

Mya also loves to give back to other families in need. In 2019, she and her family started the Mya Strong Foundation to donate funds to families battling cancer and host an annual charity softball tournament. Her motto: choose happiness and choose kindness.

“Every time she’s gone out of remission, obviously it’s devastating because she knows what’s coming,” Mya’s dad, David Gilchrist said. She’s been through it before, but every time she’s like, ‘I beat it once, I’ll do it again.’ She just puts her mind to it and says, ‘I’m going to get through this. It’s not always going to be the funnest, but I’m going to keep the positive attitude and we’re going to get through this.’”

For Mya, Stead Family Children’s Hospital has been a safe place for her over the years. She remembers being treated in the main hospital and watching the current children’s hospital be built. Mya described her care team as her second family.

“I love my doctors and nurses. They’re really amazing,” she said. “They’re there for me when I need it, and they’re willing to listen if I’m maybe questioning something or if I don’t understand, because a lot of the time, I sometimes want to know more. So they’ll sit down and explain it to me and that’s really helpful because then that makes me not as scared,” Mya said.

Her parents, Brooke and David, shared their appreciation for the children’s hospital and the way it helps patients cope by being a positive place for children.

“Mya’s older now, but just thinking back to when she was still younger, she enjoyed going to see the playroom. She enjoyed going to see the staff because they make it fun,” Brooke said. “There are some not-so-fun moments, but there are more fun moments than the treatment moments, so the fact that the staff and just the design of the building can do that for kids is pretty awesome.”

With six siblings, balancing hospital visits between other family and life events has been a juggling act at times. However, the Gilchrists said the hospital staff has been extremely understanding and accommodating over the years. For Mya, her family has been a strong support system throughout her journey.

“I love my family so much. They mean the world to me…they all support me in every step of my way that I go,” Mya said. “My parents have always been there for me. Part of the reason why I’m still here, a lot of it is because of them and the university combined, and making the best decisions for me and the best decision for quality of life, but my siblings are amazing. I love all of them.”

Mya added she’s thankful for the support of her family, care team, and friends for helping her make an impact.

“We can’t say thank you enough for all you’ve done for us, because without everybody, there wouldn’t be Mya Strong, there wouldn’t be any of that,” she said.“It’s amazing to see everyone having so much love and sending it over to those kids who really need it.”