Nine-year-old BJJ student Daphne Hannaford passed away in her sleep last night, according to a public post from her family.
Daphne, who celebrated her birthday at the end of July, was a beloved member of the jiu-jitsu community and trained at Lee Brothers MMA in Indiana, where she earned her gray-white belt last August. She was diagnosed with cancer a month later.
Prior to her diagnosis, Daphne was an active little girl, and also enjoyed dancing, singing, and reading. Her family began to notice that something was amiss when her eyes began to cross and she struggled with her balance. Since her fight against cancer began, her family has kept followers updated via the Daphne’s Fight page on Facebook, and earlier today, they revealed that Daphne had passed away during the night.
Lee Brothers MMA also shared a tribute to Daphne in the wake of her passing:
The GoFundMe that was set up for Daphne’s family to help pay for the cost of her treatment remains active, and you can donate to support her family during this tragic time.
