Help Danelle Virgen's Family Say Goodbye

On Sunday Sept. 8, 2019 the Ruiz-Virgen family received a call every parent fears: Their 22-year-old daughter Danelle Virgen (red jacket, second from right) had died. Out of respect for the family, we are choosing not to release the details of Danelle's passing. 

Danelle was a bright light in her family and had just completed the dental assistant program at UEI. She had an amazing future ahead of her with the plan to move to central California to be closer to her family and begin her career in the dental profession.

Members of Danelle's immediate family include her almost four-year-old son, Kaydance, her mother, Janay Ruiz, her father, retired United States Marine Mario Virgen, her stepmother, registered nurse Sharon Virgen, and her siblings, Adrian, Maliah and Sorayah Virgen, Damion Dickinson and Mia Peterson, as well as her grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and many others. Danelle's death was a terrible shock to her friends and family, leaving them with the impossible task of not only grieving their loss, but also finding a way to pay for the unexpected and unplanned costs of a funeral service to honor Danelle's short life. 

No parent wants to bury a child and few, if any, would be prepared for such an unimaginable task. We ask that Danelle's friends and extended family please help to insure their baby girl is laid to rest with the care and love she deserves. Even the smallest monetary donation can help Danelle's parents with these overwhelming expenses.

Along with the funeral service, any remaining funds raised will go directly towards helping care for Danelle's son who is also struggling with the death of his mother and is too young to be able to express his grief caused by such a profound loss. 

Please give what you can and also please share this with with others so Danelle's family can have the support they desperately need during this painful time.

The Virgen family has been designated as the sole beneficiary of all funds donated through this campaign.

Rest in peace, beautiful Danelle. You will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved you. 

Click here to read a touching tribute to Danelle from Sharon Virgen