In Episode 38 of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Maria Ochoa, co-founder and president of Mia’s Miracles Foundation, which she created with her husband, professional golfer Camilo Villegas, in honor of their late daughter, Mia.
Watch Maria’s episode here:
Game Over: c*ncer EP38: Maria Ochoa
Maria’s story is one of profound love, loss, and rediscovered purpose. After Mia was diagnosed with aggressive brain and spine cancer at just 17 months old, Maria found herself navigating the unthinkable. In the years since, she has transformed grief into a mission to help other families facing medical crises.
Lessons from the conversation:
Her honesty about fear, caregiving, marriage, and healing offers timeless lessons, not just for those impacted by pediatric cancer, but for anyone who has walked through heartbreak and emerged changed, including:
7 key takeaways from her conversation
1. Grief Looks Different for Everyone, and That’s Okay
Maria and Camilo learned that grief and healing don’t look the same for everyone. What mattered most was respecting each other’s way of coping and learning to communicate what support looked like in the moment.
2. The Caregiver’s Well-Being Is Not Optional
Maria’s daughter’s oncologist reminded her that a child’s health depends deeply on the caregiver’s well-being. It’s a message that became the basis of Mia’s Miracles Foundation: exhaustion and guilt are natural, but self-care is essential, not selfish.
3. It’s Okay to Set Boundaries Around Grief
Maria shared how she protected Mia’s story by deciding what to share publicly and what to hold private, only speaking on her own behalf, about her own experiences.
4. Fear Can Be a Teacher
After Mia’s cancer battle, Maria experienced intense PTSD and anxiety, emotions she later recognized as fear masking deep sadness. Her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2024 became an unexpected turning point.
“When I faced my own diagnosis, it felt like a burden was lifted. It freed me from the fear I’d carried for years.”
5. You Were Strong All Along
Maria’s healing helped her realize that strength isn’t something we acquire, it’s something we uncover. Maria shares how dealing with the death of her daughter didn’t make her strong, it revealed the strong woman she already was.
6. Purpose Can Be Born from Pain, but It Must Be Yours
Maria’s mission didn’t start with Mia’s passing. It was a calling that existed long before, she just hadn’t recognized it. Through Mia’s Miracles, she channels that purpose into tangible help for families in crisis.
7. There Are Many Ways to Give
Not everyone is called to start a foundation, Maria says. And that’s okay. Collective impact, she reminds us, is built from countless small acts of compassion, and requires all of us to give what we can, when we can.
Why It Matters
Maria’s story is a testament to resilience, to surrendering control, honoring love, and finding light in even the darkest chapters. Through Mia’s Miracles, her family continues to support families in both the U.S. and Colombia, bringing hope where it’s needed most.
Learn more about Mia’s Miracles at mias-miracles.org, and explore how Cannonball Kids’ Cancer Foundation is investing in innovative research to create more effective cancer treatments for kids like Mia at cannonballkidscancer.org.
Know a survivor or advocate whose story needs to be shared? Email us at info@cannonballkidscancer.org to nominate a guest!
