Daniel W. Heebner
September 27, 1991 – October 15, 2016

By: Kim Derkach

 Danny, my only sibling, lived a full life during his time here on earth. Danny was my person, and when I think of him, I can’t help but smile. Danny was known for his genuine heart and his ability to make everyone laugh and brighten any room with his smile and presence. He was intelligent, ambitious and had many dreams and aspirations. Danny loved to be active, play sports and spend time in nature. He lived an inspired life. 

Danny has been woven into the fabric of my life since I was two years old, and I assumed that we would have decades and decades to mature and weave around each other’s lives in new and layered ways. However, when Danny was 17 years old, he noticed a slight tremor in his hands, and after six years of being misdiagnosed, at the age of 23, he was handed a diagnosis that changed our lives forever; Juvenile Huntington’s Disease.

Huntington’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure, while juvenile HD is a much less common and a much more severe early-onset form of Huntington’s Disease that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is a progressive disorder, and treatment supports and focuses on increasing quality of life.

Danny bravely fought this incurable disease for eight years prior to his passing, and while Juvenile HD took many things from Danny, including his speech and motor function, it did not take his spirit. Throughout his entire fight with Juvenile HD, I never heard him complain. He inspired me daily with his tenacity and courage to face the unknown and uncertainties that lay in his path. To this day, he continues to be one of my greatest teachers.

Danny taught me that every experience of grief, illness or loss has a story and that we each have our stories to tell about the difficult times which have brought us to where we are today. He taught me that being human is beautiful, confusing and messy. That life will amaze you in the most stunning ways, and it will also break your heart. That life will give you the kinds of lessons that help you bloom into the person you have always hoped to be, and it will also carry within it the types of losses that stay with you and shape you in uncomfortable ways. Danny taught me how to love selflessly and how to see the world in HD, High Definition. He showed people how to live life as more awakened, vibrant, alive human beings and how to live each day with intention and gratitude so that those who are here and those who have passed can experience love and joy through our very presence. He modelled bravery and how to follow your heart to create a life worth living every single day. He showed me that you can write your own story and fulfill all you have ever dreamed of; it just might not be in the way you expected.

Danny was my inspiration to become a Registered Nurse and continues to ignite my passion for reviving the heART of nursing locally, nationally and globally. Through Danny’s memory and this scholarship, I hope you are inspired to walk your unique path and follow your heart’s desires because the way you live your life will be the story you leave behind; the impact felt by the world.