On March 23, 2020, Kids Place lost our beloved pediatric physical therapist Mariah Devries to cancer. Mariah joined Kids Place West in January 2018 after graduating from Northern Arizona University with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She quickly became a favorite among her many pediatric patients and coworkers. Mariah married the love of her life, Brian, in 2017, and the two found out they were pregnant with their first child in 2019. Toward the end of her pregnancy, Mariah learned she had an aggressive form of cancer called epithelioid angiosarcoma that had already spread to her liver, ovaries, rib cage, spine, and brain.

At 26 years old, Mariah became a new mother, giving birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl, Clara, on January 19, 2020. At a time when new mothers should be bonding, nursing, and taking care of their infant, Mariah fought for her life and more time. We still struggle every day to learn how to live on Earth without her but take comfort knowing Mariah’s legacy will live on forever through her family, her beautiful daughter Clara, and the countless friends, coworkers, people, and children she touched in her short time.