In Marya’s official CBS bio, she shares that her brother, Kious, is her hero. “Kious was the first nurse in New York to die of COVID-19. He gave his life for others. He was a dearly loved and respected nurse. He passed on March 24, 2020. Kious was my brother,” she stoically explained. However, we can expect that Marya will play the game of Survivor and win it for his legacy, just like Adam Klein famously did for his mom when she was fighting cancer.

Because his death was so impactful, the New York Times wrote up a beautiful obituary about Kious. The obit pointed out the saddest irony of all when his death rang through the media as a cry for better healthcare worker protection: “It was a far different sort of fame than Mr. Kelly might have dreamed of when he first arrived in New York years ago from the Midwest.”

According to the article, Kious initially moved to New York City in 1993 to pursue a career as a dancer, but New York is not an easy place to make it. He eventually decided to enroll in nursing school at New York University, which he graduated from in 2012. At the time, Marya spoke out: “Too soon, too quick, and not necessary,” she said to CNN.

On Facebook, Marya wrote: “Let me be absolutely clear. Kious was not a victim. He served with love. If you needed care, you would get it. He ran toward the oncoming enemy determined to bring survivors back with him. That’s who he was.” And now, Marya is going to show the world who her family is during Survivor.