I met Dani at a recruitment event for Arkansas State 2 summers ago and I immediately bonded with her. I was delighted to have her in class and then sad when she told me she was moving to Missouri and would be changing schools. She left Arkansas with some sadness but also with the joi de vivre she brings to every experience. Unfortunately, Dani's marriage ended soon after she moved. That is never easy, regardless of the circumstances of the dissolution. But what I want you all to really feel is that she moved to a new state with a support system of one person and that person was no longer in her life in any meaningful way. She stayed strong for her 3 furbabies through all this, as she still is, by the way.

Dani is strong. She's an entrepreneur, an artist, and a cancer survivor. She has experienced so much loss in her life and while those of us who carry grief know its weight, she also transforms that pain into beauty--the beauty of her jewelry, her words, and her being. She could use some help...and money helps in so many ways. I have an initial goal for this fundraiser but she needs sustained help to graduate, so we will be sharing this fundraiser over the next couple of years, more than likely and I am so grateful for all of you who can support this amazing woman who I am so fortunate to know. She makes this world a better place.

I am adding the disclaimer that I won't have access to a single cent of the money raised. I am doing this solely to help Dani through an extremely rough season of life.