Danica was a sweet princess who loved to dance, sing, and giggle. She walked in a swirl of magic, was brave, kind, and full of joy; everyone who knew her adored her. A night for her may have been dark, but it certainly didn’t hide her shine. She battled a monster named ATRT and was known throughout the land as Danica the Brave. This is her story.
Diagnosed at 21 months old, Danica was rushed into surgery to remove the golf ball size tumor from her brain – an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). An aggressive protocol of six months of chemotherapy, thirty rounds of proton radiation, and three stem cell transplants followed. And she became the first child with a high-grade tumor to receive laser ablation instead of brain surgery, for its minimally invasive benefit.
But the development of serious symptoms forced her family to relocate to Washington for treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Danica had surgery to remove a portion of her brain’s temporal lobe and became the first child to enroll in a clinical specific clinical trial involving Tumor Paint. Shortly after surgery, her family received the worst possible news. Danica had recurrent ATRT.
More intensive treatment followed, more hospitalizations and surgeries, more medications. Yet Danica remained strong in her faith and steadfast in her joy. With few options left, she returned home to a neighborhood parade and the beginning of a season of making memories — birthday celebrations, Christmas, a family trip together. On March 11, 2021, the brave princess passed away in the arms of her parents at the tender age of five.
