Danielle was dealt some difficult cards in her life, but as was her style, she always made the best of it. Never one to feel sorry for herself or defeated by her physical limitations, Danielle was rarely seen without a smile on her face and she LOVED to laugh! Danielle was always the life of the party and never met a stranger. Danielle was born with Cerebral Palsy and was in a wheelchair for most of her life. As an early teen, Danielle was diagnosed with a rare stomach cancer, GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor). As one of only a handful of children and adolescents to be diagnosed with GIST, her case has been noted in some medical textbooks. She fought that round of cancer off, rightfully earning her the nickname Rebel.

During her health battles, Danielle's love for music became a salve. Her favorite artists calmed her when she needed to be calm and gave her energy when she just didn’t have any left. Anyone who knew Danielle knows that she held strong women in high regard. None higher than Wynonna Judd and Kelly Clarkson. Their music would often be on repeat while Danielle tried to take her mind off the pain.

From her first day on American Idol, Danielle was Kelly Clarkson’s biggest fan and when Kelly won, Danielle was jumping up and down in her chair. Danielle never missed a concert when Kelly was in Saint Louis and was lucky enough to meet Kelly in 2014, where Kelly deemed Danielle her “favorite fan”, tweeting about her and mentioning her in a behind the scenes video on YouTube. This was a penultimate moment in Danielle’s life, and she’d tell anyone who would listen that she was Kelly’s favorite fan.

Danielle was an AVID Saint Louis sports fan and loved to cheer on the Saint Louis Cardinals and Saint Louis Blues, having had the opportunity to meet several Saint Louis sports legends during her lifetime. Danielle never missed an episode of Big Brother, Ellen, Grey’s Anatomy, or WWE wrestling- often connecting with friends and family who were watching with her during the commercial breaks.

A proud member of the LGBTQIA community, Danielle was inspired to come out by her favorite comedian Ellen Degeneres. Danielle loved wearing her pride t-shirts and hats, especially if they were rainbow-themed. She was rarely seen without her rainbow “LOVE” ring. She was determined to be true to who she was regardless of what other people thought.
Danielle was simply unapologetically Danielle.

In late March 2020, Danielle’s cancer returned, and this time it was stage 4. Danielle made the tough decision to not pursue further treatments. She spent the remaining time in Hospice care, with friends and family often by her side.