In 2021, our family lost a daughter and sister. Dana was funny and witty and loved to tease those close to her. She loved wearing high heels, and whenever she left the house, you'd think she was headed to a fashion show. She was thoughtful and kind and would often stop at the traffic lights in Robinson Township and offer food to the homeless. Throughout her life, she displayed many acts of kindness and was never one to ill-speak people. Her mantra was always "don't judge because you never know what someone is going through."

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Dana was a people person, and her first job was at Banana Republic, where she worked for a few years. She got her real estate license and joined Howard Hanna in 2020. She struggled with depression for most of her life but concealed it from everyone due to the stigma attached to mental illness. Mental illness is not a bad word, but it is still a very taboo subject. The sooner society accepts the fact that mental illness deserves the same respect and attention as any other illness, the sooner people will come forward and accept help without feeling embarrassed or without being in denial.

Dana succumbed to her mental illness in February 2021.​ Her death will forever be a reminder that we need to be more aware about mental health — the mental health of our society, our loved ones, and ourselves. Dana was very excited for us to resume Contagious Magazine when we spoke about it prior to her passing, so we are determined to see it through. We hope our magazine can contribute to this awareness, while still holding on to hope — the strongest force in this world that can get us through anything.