The Inspiration

Dani Stell was an active, bright, and social young woman who loved fashion, dancing, school, and friends. She aspired to become a fashion designer after graduating from college. Dani was 18 years old when she found a lump on her side. After six months, she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a type of cancer that typically affects children and young adults.

By the time of Dani’s diagnosis, the cancer had spread to her lungs. Although she showed no symptoms other than the lump on her side, Dani was in critical condition. She was hospitalized and began an aggressive schedule of treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and a bone marrow transplant.*

(*Bone marrow transplants are not part of the typical protocol for Ewing’s Sarcoma.)

Dani was cancer-free for four months when doctors discovered the disease had returned, this time in
her brain.

“Mom, we were picked for a reason,” she used to say.

Despite more treatments, Dani
remained positive and was determined
to beat her disease.

“Mom, we were picked for a reason,”
she used to say.

Dani always approached her disease as something that had to fit into her schedule, even making it to her senior prom. She demonstrated her courage and strong will to live by graduating from South High School in Denver, and attending the University of Colorado, where she took business classes, and also attending Emily Griffith Opportunity School to study sewing construction. Dani did not fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer but always lived her life with a flair for fashion.

In April 1999, Dani lost her valiant battle with cancer; she was 19 years old. Over the course of her 16 months of treatment, Dani became an example of strength to her friends and family.