Margaret Elenis Siklas, 34, Franklin Sq. educator, inspiration amid most cancers combat, has died

Margaret Elenis Siklas, an entrepreneur and married mom of two who opened a pair of Nassau County wellness facilities and play areas for younger kids, even whereas dealing with down an incurable breast most cancers prognosis, succumbed to the illness at a Manhattan hospital on Tuesday. She was 34.

A former particular schooling trainer and dean, Elenis Siklas, of Franklin Sq., grew to become an inspirational determine on social media in recent times as she documented her debilitating medical journey whereas persevering with to fundraise for these with an analogous prognosis.

“She was a really headstrong individual. Very opinionated, and he or she by no means took no for a solution,” mentioned her youthful sister, Katerina Elenis, 32, of Bayside, Queens. “She lived her life very absolutely and tried to not take heed to detrimental individuals. She was all the time very constructive. Very joyful, foolish and humorous.”

A memorial service was held Friday on the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Corona, Queens.

Glen Oaks native

Margaret Elenis was born and raised in Glen Oaks, Queens, the center of three kids to Antonios Elenis, 62, and Elisabeth Elenis, 61, who collectively operated a family-owned plumbing enterprise.

After graduating from Francis Lewis Excessive Faculty in Contemporary Meadows, Margaret Elenis attended Baruch Faculty for 2 years, the place she performed on the college’s basketball group, earlier than transferring to Queens Faculty, incomes a bachelor’s diploma in particular schooling.

She would go on to show particular schooling, and later grow to be a dean, at William Cullen Bryant Excessive Faculty in Astoria for seven years.

In 2014, she married Vasili Siklas, and collectively they’d two sons, Konstantino, 9, and Alexandro, 4.

When Elenis Siklas was 28, practically three years after the beginning of Konstantino, she was recognized with stage-two breast most cancers.

However a 12 months later, after altering her way of life — consuming more healthy and taking a excessive dosage of nutritional vitamins — the most cancers went into remission with none chemotherapy or radiation, her sister mentioned.

Shortly thereafter, Elenis Siklas started to note she might not take Konstantino to their favourite indoor play space as a result of the meals there did not match into her now-healthy weight loss plan.

In 2020, she and her sister opened Oh My Goodness Youngsters, in Backyard Metropolis, which she described to Newsday in 2023 as a “sanctuary the place every little thing is wholesome for teenagers … a protected area right here we might promote a greater way of life.”

Being pregnant issues

Elenis Siklas grew to become pregnant for a second time in 2020 however the most cancers rapidly returned in a way more aggressive type, creating main issues, relations mentioned.

Medical doctors delivered Alexandro at 30 weeks “as a result of I wasn’t going to make it,” spending a month going backwards and forwards from the remedy middle to the NICU, Elenis Siklas advised Newsday.

On the time of Alexandro’s beginning, Elenis Siklas had already been recognized with stage 4 breast most cancers, her sister mentioned.

Even whereas persevering with to battle most cancers, Elenis Siklas was decided to develop the enterprise, opening a second location in Port Washington and increasing to incorporate drop-off packages, in addition to cooking and yoga for older kids.

“Sure, there’s a detrimental to getting most cancers, however that is my alternative,” she advised Newsday on the time. “I selected to pursue a path the place I do know I’m doing one thing for the longer term.”

Considering of others

Final April, at the same time as her well being continued to deteriorate, Elenis Siklas established Ball4Life, a basketball fundraiser for ladies and moms battling breast most cancers. The group’s second annual occasion is scheduled for subsequent month.

“She was a power. She had an unbreakable spirit and by no means took no for a solution,” mentioned Irene Candela, 38, of Port Washington, Elenis Siklas’ cousin. “Lots of people all the time discuss what they need to do or what they want would occur. However she made something occur that she needed to occur … She by no means needed assist or to just accept something from anybody. She needed to assist everybody else.”

As information unfold on social media of Elenis Siklas’ passing this week, a flood of associates and prospects took to Oh My Goodness Youngsters’ Instagram web page to share tales and describe her as an “inspiration” and a “warrior” who continually lifted the group’s spirits.

Alongside along with her husband, two kids, sister and oldsters, Elenis Siklas is survived by a brother, Emmanuel Elenis, 37, of Malverne, and several other in-laws.

In lieu of flowers, the household requested that donations be made to Ball4Life, positioned at 25-18 fiftieth St. in Woodside.