Teen Gets Cancer and Stoney Clover Lane Collection

Ava Danuser’s line features butterflies, supports nonprofit Salood’s work

A ripple of ambivalent news hit Ava Danuser.

While going through chemo, the teen cancer warrior learned she could help other families battling cancer.

A friend told Ava about Salood, a Texas nonprofit bringing businesses and cancer patients together to create brand partnerships benefiting families affected by pediatric cancer.

Salood was looking for more ambassadors, so Ava, now a Highland Park High School freshman, decided to get involved.

“When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the intensity of the treatments typically forces one parent to stop working, which significantly impacts a family’s income at a time when medical expenses escalate,” Salood co-founder Joshua Castillo said. “That’s where Salood comes in to provide support, no questions asked.”

As she was finishing chemo, Ava was accepted as a 2022 Salood Ambassador to represent a line of Stoney Clover Lane products.

“I was so excited to be chosen — and even more excited when I found out it was going to be a capsule collection of multiple pieces, not just a backpack,” she said.

Ava was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, at age 13. As a competitive cheerleader, she had a nagging injury and decided to go to the doctor. After several appointments, she scheduled a biopsy and discovered it was cancer.

Ava did nine months of chemo with surgeries in between.

“I had another surgery this past May, and in October, I had my year’s post-treatment scans and am officially one-year cancer free,” she said.    

Ava had a voice in the Stoney Clover collection, designed to raise awareness for pediatric cancer and support families affected by this disease.

She picked the colors, designed patches, and chose which bags to include. The butterfly symbolizes hope to Ava, so she added her butterfly drawing.

“Stoney Clover Lane was amazing. They asked me so many questions and really wanted my input on everything,” she said. “Seeing the products come to life was so cool.”

Ava described the experience as a silver lining to her cancer journey.

“Having cancer as a kid is really hard, and it’s hard on parents and siblings, too,” she said. “I hope this collection with Stoney Clover Lane helps a lot of families in Texas.”