Editor’s Note: The following story was written last month with plans to update and publish in early January, just before left-handed pitcher Maya Johnson, a 2021 commit to the University of Pittsburgh, and her PA Strikers 18U National Team would head west to play in the PGF Arizona Winter Invitational the weekend of January 8-10, 2021.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, however, Maya was hospitalized for flare-ups related to her medical condition detailed below and is currently in the Pediatric ICU at the Cleveland Clinic.
Her spirits remain high, but with several testing procedures scheduled, we are asking for positive thoughts and prayers to help give the senior at St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland, Ohio a speedy, painless and full recovery.
She agreed to share her story with hopes that her experience will in fact inspire other athletes who might be faced with a similar experience and prove that you can still accomplish your dreams, even when faced with unexpected hurdles and roadblocks you just have to jump over along the way.
Based on this “unfortunate turn of events” (as Maya calls it), we feel compelled to share her inspiring journey now…
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
BRIGHT FUTURE
If actions are defining, then Maya Johnson is a classic over-achiever.
She’s one of those players who continues to train after everyone else stops; a perfectionist who practices what she’s working on until the results are better than expected; and a gifted future D1 pitcher who claims to rarely get sore and makes it a point to be readily available in case she’s ever needed – no matter how many innings she has pitched.
By all standards, she’s as driven as they come.
Recently ranked as the #25 pitcher and #42 overall in the 2021 Extra Elite 100, Maya has the skill, the drive, the motivation and, basically, everything it takes and more to be a standout pitcher at the University of Pittsburgh and in the ACC.
At 6-foot tall and with a fastball recently clocked at 69 mph, this PA Strikers 18U National Team ace has been lights out for her new team this entire fall season, controlling the game with different speed pitches, drastic ball movement and tight spin.
“Maya’s confidence in herself and in her team is so appealing,” says her travel ball Coach Camille Hayes, who Monday was listed as one of the Top 50 club coaches in the nation.
“She gets in the circle to do her job and doesn’t even realize that she’s actually putting on a show. She’s so much fun to watch.”
And with stats that include an average of 12 strikeouts per game this fall, her results back up her confidence.
EARLY WARNING SIGNS
But Maya’s story isn’t as typical as it seems and her journey to her future did hit a large roadblock along the way. In fact, just a few short years ago, there were moments when Maya and her family believed she’d never play softball again—let alone pitch for a major DI college program.
During the final weeks of her freshman high school year, Maya’s body began to send signals that something was just not right. The usual overly energetic and talkative hurler—described by friends and teammates as someone who never sits still—found herself feeling tired.
The senior, who trained for hours daily when not playing and rarely needed more than a good night’s sleep to be on her A-game, suddenly found herself napping up to 4-5 hours a day in addition to her usual 8-10 hours per night.
At first, Maya and her parents attributed her excessive sleepiness to the fact that she was going through a growth spurt. After all, Maya did indeed spout up an incredible three inches from the start of her freshman high school year to the end.
But concern grew and eyebrows were raised when Maya began to experience other strange physical symptoms including joint pain, digestive issues and, most concerning, instability and clumsiness in simple things like standing up, walking or running.
Still, all the physical changes Maya was feeling were passed off as “just a curve ball,” a natural reaction to her growth spurt; an “awkwardness” she would figure out once she grew into her body and surely nothing to worry about.
And so, Maya’s strenuous daily training and conditioning continued. Summer travel ball was about to start and Maya and her teammates were entering into a big recruiting year. This was the moment she was waiting for and she wasn’t about to let herself or any of her teammates down.
DRAWING A BLANK
Then came Strike Two.
Maya’s body sent her another danger sign and this one came in loud and clear, like a fastball right down the middle of the plate.
A straight-A student and math whiz at St. Joseph’s Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, Maya was moving quickly though her Algebra II final when she something in her brain just stopped working.
She remembers becoming disoriented and drawing a sudden and complete blank. All of the material that came so easily to Maya all year long—and even halfway through the test—suddenly looked foreign to her. Her loss of cognitive function sent her and her family seeking answers.
The medical testing began and Maya spent quite a bit of the summer before her sophomore year in the care of intrigued medical professionals. But, because her symptoms were common to so many diseases and/or conditions including Rheumatory Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and several gastrointestinal disorders, doctors avoided committing to an immediate diagnosis.
And, as long as Maya felt well enough, her doctors—still looking for answers—gave approval for her to continue to do what she loved to do, which was play softball with her travel ball team throughout the summer.
Despite some physical setbacks occasionally throughout the season, Maya’s over-achiever instincts kicked in and she led her team to a successful season that included multiple top tournament finishes.
Scarily, however, as the summer ended and her sophomore year of high school began, Maya’s condition worsened. She was always exhausted, experienced routine blackouts and finally her body gave in to Strike Three.
SOFTBALL CAREER IN JEOPARDY?
Maya collapsed while in class one early morning and was immediately transported by ambulance to the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Teaching Hospital in Cleveland where she spent four days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a total of seven days overall.
Thanks to a wonderful team of doctors led by Pediatrician Dr. Fouts-Fowler and Rheumatologist Dr. Kuchynski, Maya was under great care and finally received an official diagnosis.
The verdict: the young athlete had Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an auto-immune condition known to cause joint pain, extreme fatigue, fainting, kidney issues, skin irritations, low-grade fevers, and, yes, disorientation and other cognitive issues.
While the diagnosis was devastating at first to this student-athlete who thought for sure her softball career was over, it eventually provided a sense of relief to better understand the battle she was facing.
While there is no known cure for SLE, Maya committed to a treatment plan that was known to ease the painful symptoms, reduce the number of flare-ups and—if all went well—allow for her to accept the condition and live the normal, active life she was used to living.
Throughout her sophomore high school season, Maya was still not 100 percent and continued to fight occasional flare-ups of pain, discomfort and fatigue. With the help of her high school Athletic Trainer Leanne Levenduski and the confidence she received from her high school coach Dale Dawson, who worked with her daily and kept her playing that year, Maya finished her sophomore high school season with multiple accolades and honors that included:
- All-State recognition
- Conference Pitcher of the Year
- County Pitcher of the Year
- NFCA National Player of the Week
- 1st-team All-County, All-District, & All-Conference
- Three school single-season records (wins, lowest ERA in a season, most strikeouts)
- Led her high school team to its first ever conference championship
A NEW START… AND PERSPECTIVE
With the treatment plan established by her doctors seemingly effective and now a daily routine, Maya spent the summer before her junior year traveling up and down the East Coast to play in national events with her Ohio Lasers travel ball team.
Word of her success from the circle that summer was spreading as college coaches lined the fields to watch her pitch. Those who did were impressed with her skills, though most certainly never knew of the daily battle she was going through to stay healthy.
If her auto-immune condition hindered Maya in any way, it never showed in her performances. Her drive and motivation to play the game she loved so much triumphed over adversity and her determination to reach her goals paid off.
Shortly after the fall of her junior year of high school, Maya committed to play softball for Head Coach Jodi Hermanek at the University of Pittsburgh in the ACC and signed her National Letter of Intent in November (last month).
While very inspirational, Maya kept her diagnosis and her story private for a very long time.
“I wanted people to love me as a person and as the player I was based off of my performance and personality and not have it clouded by this diagnosis,” explained Maya. “I don’t see this as a challenge and I don’t see it as adversity. If anything, it’s one of the reasons I am the player and person I am today.”
The senior adds that she counts herself fortunate every time she takes the field.
“My coach and I were talking the other day and I told her that, while I might be disappointed in a loss and never want it to happen again, I am never mad at a loss or mad at my teammates for a loss because I am truly blessed and lucky to feel good enough to play the game every day.”
“I love softball a lot and during times when I thought I might never play again, I gained a new perspective. Every day that I get to play, to pitch, and to be with my wonderful teammates is a gift and I no longer take it for granted. Every win, every loss, every celebration and every disappointment with my team is something I will cherish because I was able to be a part of it”.
Other than a few monthly health screenings and required doctor’s appointments, Maya’s life now is pretty typical of a committed D1 pitcher with a lot of time dedicated to the sport and her craft.
“Maya is such a special player, but more importantly a wonderful person,” Coach Hayes begins. “We talk or text almost daily and Wednesday she was telling me she passed her recent fitness test with flying colors and the next day she texted me she was being transported by ambulance to the ICU in Cleveland. Her life is filled with unknown moments, but still she is one of the most positive, energetic and motivating people I have ever known and I find her such a breath of fresh air.”
“I just talked with her and while this has her down for a couple of days, she knows all will be well and can’t wait to get back to work with her pitching coach,” Hayes adds. “She’s on medication for pain, so she’s been sleeping a lot, but told me when she is awake and feel good cognitively, she’s been watching game film so she knows what she can work on to get better.”
