Shriners Children’s Southern California Patient Danna Participates in the 135th Rose Parade

A Shriners Children’s Southern California patient took part in the 135th annual Rose Parade presented by Honda on January 1, 2024. Seventeen-year-old Danna was one of several Patient Ambassadors who participated in the iconic parade, which draws hundreds of thousands of viewers and spectators each year.

Danna was also one of the inspirations behind this year’s float theme, called Believe in Tomorrow. It depicted a young girl playing the cello with a prosthetic device, and was meant to represent how Shriners Children’s innovative care helps patients fulfill their dreams.

Danna was born in Sonora, Mexico, with a congenital malformation called Poland syndrome, and did not have functioning fingers in her right hand. She began receiving treatment from Shriners Children’s when she was just 18 months old. When she was 3, Danna had her first extremely rare toe-to-hand transplant surgery at Shriners Children’s, followed by another surgery a year later. The surgeries and subsequent occupational therapy and care allowed her to become self-sufficient and pursue her passion of playing the violin. The 17-year-old is now a member of her hometown’s symphony orchestra.

“Shriners Children’s brought light and hope into my life with everything they have done for me since I was a little girl, and now as a teenager,” said Danna. “In my heart, I carry each person and doctor who was part of my journey.”