LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas woman is not letting cancer stop her from achieving her goals. Maria Duran-Bravo is Las Vegas’ newest published author.
“It's been a dream and it’s insane that it’s all coming together right now,” said Maria Duran-Bravo, a Make-A-Wish recipient
At 16, Duran-Bravo was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Through chemotherapy and surgery to remove a portion of her leg, she turned to reading and writing to work through her pain.
On Monday, her dream of becoming a published author came to life thanks to Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada.
“It’s always emotional. When she first came into our office she knew she wanted to write a children’s book, so to see this today, it’s everything,” said Scott Rosenzweig, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada.
After noticing a lack of representation for disabled children in the media, Duran-Bravo was inspired to write ‘My new neighbor, Macey.’ The book is about a young girl with a prosthetic leg who moves next door to the narrator, and they become best friends.
“For me, it’s all about if a child has a prosthetic leg, they may not be able to explain it or answer all these questions or they may feel alienated, so for them to be able to open up a book and see somebody that looks like them, it’s everything for me,” Duran-Bravo said.
Now, Duran-Bravo is using her own experience and talents as a writer to help others going through similar situations.
“No matter what life throws at you with your attitude towards it, it’s what you wanna do with it and it’s been a great learning experience,” Duran-Bravo said.
