Maria Beavers
December 15, 1997 – November 16, 2025
Maria passed away on November 16, 2025, at the age of 27 — surrounded by love. Determined, sharp-witted, and fiercely loyal to the people she loved, Maria exceeded every expectation and inspired everyone who knew her.
Maria's Story
Maria Claire (Kuenster) Beavers was the beneficiary of the 2nd Annual Sean Ryan Memorial Golf Classic. At just 27 years old, Maria was a warrior in every sense of the word — diagnosed with DIPG in 2020, she fought with everything she had while lifting up others along the way.
Throughout her journey, Maria was a pivotal contributor to the brain tumor community — raising awareness, advocating for others, and showing what courage looks like every single day. She received the 2023 Warrior Award through the Cristian Rivera Foundation, remained actively involved with The Cure Starts Now, and raised substantial funds through Maria's Miracle to support others battling brain cancer.
In Maria's Words
My name is Maria. Growing up I always dealt with headaches, but migraines run in my family so I wasn't that concerned over them. I finally got a doctor to refer me to get an MRI done. When the doctor ordered the scan, he explained to me that some people just have headaches and that I very likely would not find anything on my MRI. I knew I wanted the scan. In June of 2020, my MRI results came in: anaplastic astrocytoma on my brainstem or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). There was, and still is, no cure. Because of the location, it is inoperable. The 5 year survival rate is below 1%. The MRI results were essentially a death sentence.
Since diagnosis, I've had 60 rounds of radiation, hundreds of MRIs, several rounds of CAR T-cell therapy, five different brain surgeries, thousands of doctor appointments, months of immunotherapy and countless amounts of chemotherapy.
Although I am proud of myself for hitting the 5-year mark from diagnosis, DIPG significantly impacts me. My blood count numbers are very below average. This causes extreme fatigue and nausea. I also struggle a lot with walking and maintaining my center of gravity. Due to damage from DIPG and radiation, the left half of my face and eye are completely numb. My optic nerve has been severely damaged and very likely will not recover. Mental tasks have become practically impossible this past year or so. I even lost my job due to cancer complications last November. Many days, I feel like I would be better off dead. Sometimes I wish I was.
As a 22 year old diagnosed with terminal cancer, I thought I would never find love. I cried over this thought many times. In 2022 I met Cody, the love of my life. He has made my life worth living and has been my rock through it all. We were married in a small ceremony in November 2024. We were engaged to be married regardless, but we got married early right before the start of 2025 to ensure I had health insurance (very romantic, I know).
Even though I was given a death sentence, I wanted to do something to help others with DIPG. Shortly after I was diagnosed, I began a campaign selling merchandise called Maria's Miracle. The campaign ran for about a month. I was able to raise around $24,000 from solely selling merchandise. These proceeds were donated to the Cristian Rivera Foundation and The Cure Starts Now.
“I believe in myself and I believe there will be a cure for DIPG in my lifetime.”
— Maria Beavers
Remembering Maria
Maria grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota and attended Highland Catholic School and Cretin-Derham Hall before earning her degree from the University of Minnesota. She went on to work in medical sales at ResMed — driven and professional even as she fought the hardest battle of her life.
Diagnosed with DIPG in 2020 at age 22, Maria was given a prognosis that fewer than 1% survive five years. She exceeded that mark — meeting and marrying the love of her life, Cody Beavers, and continuing to fight for a cure until the very end.
Maria's campaign, Maria's Miracle, raised over $24,000 for brain cancer research. Her resilience, her humor, and her refusal to stop fighting for others — that is Maria's legacy. She is deeply missed by her husband Cody, her parents Tammy and Larry, her sisters Katie and Caroline, and everyone whose life she touched.
Honor Maria's Legacy
In lieu of flowers, Maria's family asked that donations be made to causes close to her heart — including the Sean Ryan Memorial.
Maria's fight is over, but her impact lives on. Your support helps families like hers.