When 17-year-old Dana Scatton was given the choice between treating her brain cancer and protecting her unborn baby, she chose to delay treatment in order to save her child.
Last week, 4 months after giving birth to a healthy baby, Scatton tragically passed away.
Her family has been posting updates on Scatton’s condition on a Facebook page they created called Pray for Dana. On Monday, they wrote their last update, notifying over 50,000 followers that Scatton had passed.
“This morning shortly before 4am, Dana left us to be with the lord,” the family announced.
“We may never have the right things to say to truly honor the amazing, smart, loving, caring, passionate, incredibly beautiful and free spirited mother, daughter, niece, sister, cousin, friend and independent woman Dana was every day,” they wrote.
The family, who are Christian, shared that Scatton “inspired us all to be better than who we are and to keep God in our focus at every moment.”
“She faced the greatest fear of all, death, and smiled back with a grin only God can instill,” the post continued. “She fought harder than the toughest warriors known to man and did it with grace and valor.”
“We don’t know how to process all of this but we want to thank everyone for all their prayers for Dana and our family,” the Scatton family continued.
The posted ended with the verse Isaiah 41:10, sharing that it was the verse Dana invoked when started her cancer battle.
“Dana started this chapter of her life with a quote and we find it fitting to leave today’s post with it,” they wrote.
“So do not fear, for I am your God;
Do not be dismayed, for I am with you,
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”Isiah 41:10
The family shared another post a few days later, thanking those that attended the memorial services both in-person and online.
They thanked the page’s followers for “support you’ve given Dana over the last 16 months,” for “never giving up on her and her fight,” and “the extreme patience you’ve shown Dana and our family.”
The family continued to thank followers for “the messages, cards and letters of hope … the donations that allowed us [to] get Dana the treatment she needed,” and for “understanding when we took too long to post an update.”
“But most importantly,” the family wrote, “thank you for the countless prayers for Dana on a daily basis. They meant the most to her and to our family and we’ll forever be grateful.”
The family added that they are finding solace not only in the fact that Scatton in heaven with her creator, but that she is dancing up there too.
“Dana’s relationship with Christ was unbelievably strong,” they wrote.
“Our only hope is that we can honor Dana the way she would’ve wanted in the many months and years to come,” they concluded. “Thank you and God bless.”