Ana-Alecia Ayala, whose “Juju on that Chemo” video went viral, has died. (Facebook/Ana-Alecia Ayala)
Ana-Alecia Fernandez Ayala of Dallas won the hearts of many last year when she appeared in a viral video, dancing to Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall’s “Juju on That Beat” with a friend. What made her video different is that she danced in a hospital gown as she was receiving chemotherapy for uterine sarcoma, a rare cancer. Sadly, on January 18, Ayala died, but not without inspiring many and even appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The 32-year-old Ayala leaves behind her husband and three-year-old daughter.
Here’s a look at her story.
1. She Was Diagnosed in December 2015 After a Rare Tumor in Her Uterus Was Found
(Facebook/Ana-Alecia Ayala)
Ayala’s fight with cancer began in December 2015, when she was diagnosed with uterine sarcoma after doctors found a rare tumor in her uterus, reports WFAA. The cancer spread to her ovaries and the lining of her stomach.
A few weeks after the diagnosis, she did have a procedure to have the turmor removed, but a new tumor was found in July 2016 on her spleen. She then had to undergo an aggressive form of chemotherapy.
“In-patient treatment was rough at first,” Ayala told KVUE in October 2016. “Being away from our 3-year-old was the hardest part. We had her birthday party in my hospital room in July, and the nurses came in and sang to her.”
Before the discovery of her first tumor, Ayala and her husband were trying to have their second child.
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2. Ayala’s Dancing Video Earned Over 9 Million Hits
In the video that made Ayala a viral sensation, she’s seen dancing to “Juju on That Beat” with a friend she made at Baylor T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital in Dallas. In her interview with KVUE after the video went viral, Ayala said she met her dancing partner in 2015. She always helped Ayala get distracted from the seriousness of her situation.
“She would come sit with me in my chemo session always bringing me entertainment — magazines, arts and crafts. Things to keep me distracted,” Ayala told KVUE. “But she loves a good dance party. We did a dance to Meghan Trainor’s ‘Me Too’ song last time, but never posted it online. This time she encouraged me to post it and everyone has been so sweet to share it and get it out there.”
In May 2016, Ayala created a GoFundMe Page to help her pay for treatments. She just barely passed her $12,000 and you can still donate to help her family.
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3. Ayala Told Ellen DeGeneres That She Was ‘Determined to Stay Positive’ During her Battle With Cancer
She’s dancing her way through chemo, through cancer, and right onto my show. pic.twitter.com/ZRf7YYErJl
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 1, 2016
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