Teen channels heartbreaking loss into raising awareness

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Walking with purpose is the goal of a Hanover Township teen, and she encourages others to do so.

In this week’s Here’s To You Kid, we meet Maleea Rembish who is motivated by a loss to make a difference.

Motivation can come from anything whether it be good or bad. In Maleea Rembish’s case, she found her motivation by overcoming tragedy.

She lost her mom at the age of five to cystic fibrosis. Keeping her mom’s memory alive motivated her to start Walk for Our Angel.

“Raising money and awareness for cystic fibrosis it’s a lung illness that my mom had and she passed away from and I just wanna bring awareness and raise money for future people who have it and just bring like awareness to the disease in general,” stated Rembish.

For the past 2 years, Maleea and her team have gone to Harrisburg once a year to participate in the Great Strides Walk for a cure that benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

In the past 2 years of doing this, she says she’s seen it grow in ways that she never imagined.

“This year we raised over $2,000 in the past we went I think close to $2,000 in the past two years,” said Rembish.

Maleea says seeing so many people come out and support her means the world to her and her grandmother.

“It means like a lot when we see like all the people walking for the same illness and like raising awareness and just feels good that like we’re all together like bringing awareness for this one disease,” expressed Rembish.

She organized the walk her junior and senior years at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, while maintaining her honor roll status and as a member of Key Club.

All this makes her grandmother very proud.

“She’s proud of me for doing this. It means a lot to me and her to raise money for this. She’s proud of me,” explained Rembish.

Now as she plans for college she is not slowing down.

“I plan to go to Penn State and major and business with a minor in marketing,” said Rembish.

Maleea graduated from Holy Redeemer in June and she is planning on continuing her walk for our angel fundraising.

Here’s to you, Maleea!

If you have a youngster you would like to nominate go to our Here’s To You Kid section of our website .

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