Our Journey
From Maiya's Legacy to a Movement of Hope.
Maiya's Heart Project is not a mature nonprofit pretending to scale. We are a movement Sharnell Lydia leads in its formative years — building openly, and inviting you to help shape what this becomes.
Why we exist
One yes can save eight lives — but the families who need it most still aren't being reached.
Maiya Cunningham was bright, faithful, and waiting. The yes she needed never came in time. Her story is one of more than 104,000 currently on the transplant list in the United States — and one of the disproportionate number from Black and brown communities, where myths, mistrust, and a lack of representation keep the donor conversation from ever beginning.
Today, Maiya's Heart Project is in the early stages of building a lasting legacy through storytelling, advocacy, community partnerships, and the family support programs we are working toward.
Our Journey
From Maiya's Legacy to a Movement of Hope.
- 2008–2009
The Promise
After losing Maiya in 2008 following a lifelong journey with congenital heart disease and while awaiting a heart transplant, Sharnell Lydia began searching for ways to honor her daughter's legacy and raise awareness about the life-saving impact of organ donation.
- 2009–2024
Keeping the Light Alive
Through volunteer work, donor registration drives, hospital events, community outreach, and partnerships with transplant organizations, Sharnell shared Maiya's story while advocating for organ donation awareness and encouraging others to say "yes" to the gift of life.
- 2024
The Seed of a Movement
Years of advocacy begin to evolve into a broader vision. Partnerships with transplant organizations, faith leaders, donor families, and community supporters help shape the future direction of Maiya's Heart Project.
- 2025
Building the Foundation
Maiya's Heart Project begins transforming from a personal mission into an organized platform for awareness, advocacy, storytelling, and future family support initiatives. The foundation is laid for long-term growth and community impact.
- 2026
Expanding the Mission
Maiya's Heart Project launches a renewed public platform that shares Maiya's story, promotes organ donation awareness, and begins building the infrastructure for future family support programs and advocacy initiatives.
- 2027
Community in Motion
Awareness events, community gatherings, fundraising initiatives, and strategic partnerships help grow the movement while supporting the pursuit of formal nonprofit status and future family-centered programs.
- Beyond
The Long Horizon
A future where children and families impacted by organ donation, transplantation, life-threatening illness, and loss never have to navigate their journey alone — through family navigation and advocacy, parent mentorship, practical family support, housing and transportation assistance, the Grace Check-In Program, grief and bereavement support, the Maiya Cunningham Healthcare Scholarship, organ donation and transplant awareness, and minority donor advocacy.
Where we are right now
Sharnell, a small circle of supporters, and a clear mission.
- — Operating as an LLC while pursuing formal nonprofit recognition.
- — Led by Sharnell Lydia, with a growing circle of volunteers and storytelling partners.
- — Building the storytelling, awareness, and community infrastructure first — programs will follow.
- — Transparent about what is built, what is being built, and what is on the horizon.
The Long Horizon
Future initiatives we're building toward.
Each card below is a future goal currently in development — not an active service today. Tap any card to learn more about what we're laying the foundation for.
A future scholarship vision
The Maiya Cunningham Healthcare Scholarship.
One future goal of Maiya's Heart Project is the creation of the Maiya Cunningham Healthcare Scholarship — supporting graduating high school seniors who feel called to careers in healthcare and the helping professions.
The scholarship would be open to students pursuing nursing, medicine, social work, child life services, hospice care, therapy, healthcare administration, transplant coordination, and other healthcare-related fields.
It is inspired by Maiya's legacy of compassion, courage, service, faith, and helping others — and by the nurses, doctors, chaplains, and child life specialists who walked with her family through every chapter of her care.
The scholarship is a future initiative currently in development. It is not yet open for applications.
Early supporters
You can help build this from the beginning.
Early supporters fund the storytelling, the events, and the quiet infrastructure that makes future programs possible. Whether through a gift, your time, your story, or your network — there is a place for you in what we are building.