‘She left us with a beautiful legacy’: Family honors North Reading teen lost to ovarian cancer

NORTH READING, Mass. — Cancer can strike any of us at any time.

Last year, Boston 25’s Bob Ward met Maya Ortiz at her home in North Reading.

At the time, Maya was 19 years old, living with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer, and was preparing for a major fundraiser.

Maya passed away a few months ago, but her family is working to keep Maya’s legacy alive by helping other young people struggling with cancer.

“Although her time was short, she left us with a beautiful legacy, beautiful memories,” Mayra Bolden, Maya Ortiz’s mother, told Ward.

In February, ovarian cancer took Maya Ortiz’s body, but it did not diminish her spirit.

“We are trying to turn the grief into something positive. This is what we are doing for her,” Mayra said.

She was full of life, excited about hosting “Trotting In Teal,” an event to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, and to help a 14-year-old in Kentucky living with the disease.

At 19 years old, Maya was also on the pre-med track at UMass Amherst, and she was studying to be an EMT.

Maya was not about to let her own Stage 3 diagnosis slow her down.

“I don’t feel so like the disease is holding me back, so it’s definitely important to keep going,” Maya said in July 2025. “It can only take so much. I didn’t want it to take my whole life.”

On Saturday, Maya’s family will return to Ipswich River Park for “Trotting in Teal.”

It’s a day filled with music, games, food, and a two-mile walk.

This year, “Trotting in Teal” will be held in Maya’s memory, but most importantly, it will be held to help other young people struggling through ovarian cancer.

“She wouldn’t want to make this walk about herself. It’s about others, helping other young adults, it’s about giving back. That’s what her legacy was,” Mayra Bolden told me.

Last year, 300 people showed up to support Trotting in Teal.

And 300 more have already signed up for Saturday’s event.

“Trotting In Teal” will be held on Saturday, July 18^th, 2026, from noon to 3 p.m. in Ipswich River Park, 15 Central Street, North Reading, MA.

For more information, visit Maya Ortiz Legacy Foundation on Instagram.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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