Built from love.
Driven by a promise.
Strides for Sarcoma was founded to transform heartbreak into research, support, awareness, and hope.
Creating meaningful change for children and families.
We fund innovative pediatric sarcoma research while supporting children, young adults, and families affected by childhood cancer.
Families First
Center every decision on warriors and families.
Research With Purpose
Invest in science with meaningful potential.
Responsible Stewardship
Use every resource carefully and transparently.
Hope in Action
Turn compassion into measurable progress.
The first chapter of our calling.
Our journey began with our cousin, Maddox, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at just three years old. Watching someone so young endure years of chemotherapy, countless hospital stays, and the uncertainty that comes with childhood cancer forever changed our family. After nearly four years of treatment, Maddox reached a milestone our family will never forget: ringing the bell on his seventh birthday to celebrate the end of his cancer treatment. Today, he is cancer-free, thriving, and serves as a constant reminder of what advances in pediatric cancer research can accomplish.
Maddox's journey opened our eyes to the realities of childhood cancer and sparked our desire to make a difference. It taught us the importance of research and the unwavering support families need throughout treatment. Although we could not have known it at the time, his story became the first chapter in a much larger mission.
Years later, when his litter sister, Maia, was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, that mission took on an even deeper meaning.
Our forever why.
Our cousin Maia was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in 2022 when she was just six years old. Over the next years, she endured major surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, countless hospital stays, and multiple relapses with extraordinary courage. Despite everything she faced, Maia continued to love deeply and inspire everyone around her with her unwavering strength and one of a kind personality. On November 2, 2025, Maia gained her angel wings at only nine years old. Although her time with us was far too short, her impact continues to shape our lives every single day.
Strides for Sarcoma was built in honor of Maia and the countless children like her who deserve better. Her journey exposed the urgent need for more research, more effective treatments, and greater support for families facing pediatric sarcoma. Everything we do is driven by the hope that no family will have to experience the heartbreak that ours did. Maia celebrated only nine birthdays. Through Strides for Sarcoma, we are working to ensure that future children diagnosed with sarcoma have access to better treatments, more hope, and the opportunity to celebrate many, many more birthdays.
Gabriella and Nicholas Conjelko
Gabriella and Nicholas Conjelko founded Strides and are now medical students pursuing careers in pediatric oncology.
In the fall of 2026, Gabriella began pursuing her M.D. at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Nicholas began pursuing his D.O. at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Both hope to become pediatric oncologists. Their experiences continue to shape the physicians, advocates, and nonprofit leaders they aspire to become as they work to connect compassionate care, innovative science, and meaningful family support.