Margaret’s Story – A Mother’s Promise
How One Little Boy’s Life Sparked a Movement of Hope
To understand what Margaret Guedes has built over the last 30 years, you must first walk with her through the darkest days of her life – days that would break most people yet became the fire that would change thousands of children’s lives.
Her journey began not in hope, but in heartbreak. The unimaginable became her reality, and each step forward was taken with the weight of love and loss. From this crucible, Margaret found a purpose greater than pain, and a resolve that would not be extinguished.
What began as a mother’s promise… would become a beacon for families in their most desperate hours – a lifeline stretching across decades, carrying with it the possibility of cures… and the certainty of compassion.
Sometimes, a single moment changes everything. For Margaret, that moment came in 1988…
when she heard the words no parent should ever hear: “Your child has leukemia.” Her firstborn son, John, was only five years old – bright, curious, full of life.
His diagnosis was rare and devastating: Myelodysplastic Syndrome, rapidly became acute myeloblastic leukemia, AML with Monosomy 7. His only chance for survival… was a bone marrow transplant. But in Central Florida, there was no such place for a child like John.
When testing revealed that John’s younger brother, Todd—just four years old—was a perfect match, hope returned. But that hope came with a crushing truth: they would have to leave home for 100 long days in Seattle – thousands of miles away from friends, family, and every source of comfort. Margaret faced the unimaginable: caring for a gravely ill child, a selfless young donor,
and a newborn baby – alone in a strange city – making life-and-death decisions every single day.
John fought with all the courage a child could give. But within months, his cancer returned. His only chance—a second transplant – made him just the fourth child in the nation to attempt such a battle. Again, Margaret packed up her children, leaving home for another 100 days…praying for a miracle that never came.
John’s treatment journey came with many losses no child should ever face. Pain. Suffering. Months spent in hospital rooms instead of playgrounds. Every complication. Life-threatening infections.
But most of all… the loss of precious time – time with his family, with his friends, and in the classroom where he belonged. He missed birthdays, holidays, and the everyday moments that make a childhood whole. Simple dreams slipped out of reach— like the green 10-speed bike he longed for, even as he struggled just to walk, tethered to IV poles. Slowly… he began to lose hope. At just nine years old… John’s battle ended.
In that moment of unbearable loss, Margaret made a vow: No other child, no other family, would endure what we endured. Just six months later, she founded the John Voight Memorial Foundation— later renamed Kids Beating Cancer—with two unwavering goals:
- To ensure every child can access life-saving treatment close to home, with full support for their families.
- To fund groundbreaking research that brings us closer to a cure.
From that promise, a movement was born. With no money, no investors, and only her heart as a guide, Margaret built something extraordinary. She knocked on doors. She told John’s story.
And hope began to grow.
Margaret Guedes, CEO, President and Founder
She inspired a community to believe that together, the impossible could become possible. In three decades, that belief has raised $35 million, added 38,000 marrow donors, and brought hope to more than 15,000 children and families. Her vision became reality with the Kids Beating Cancer Pediatric Transplant Center – so children could receive care close to home, close to love, and close to hope.
John once asked his mother— “Mommy, why do kids get leukemia?” Even now… there is no answer. But because of him… the ending has changed. Today, children survive who once would not. Families stay together. And hope—once out of reach— now lives close to home.
John’s voice still echoes – not in sorrow, but in the laughter of children who get to grow up. Not in despair, but in the hope his mother fought to give them. John’s legacy lives on… to bring the cure he couldn’t have. It is the testament to the enduring power of one small boy…who ignited a flame of hope and healing for every child.
Because all a family should worry about is the joy and love of raising their child!
