I want to start by saying thank you for the kind words spoken about Dani Jo. I am Dani Jo's dad (Joey). I am a life-long Hokies fan from growing up in Patrick County, VA. My wife and three daughters didn't have a choice. If you are in my family, you are a Hokie.

Dani Jo was born 11 years ago without any warning signs of health issues. She has to be revived multiple times during her first few hours of birth. She was sent to a children's hospital in Winston-Salem, where they discovered she has a rare incurable disease (Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome) that affects about 1,000 people in the world. She dies within a minute if she falls asleep. That's the reality of what she deals with. The part of her brain that controls respiration immediately shuts off the second she falls asleep. The minute she wakes up, that part of her brain starts working again. If you ever see us at basketball games, we're the family that carries bags and bags of medical equipment. She is kept alive by a ventilator every night. She spent the first year of her life in the children's hospital, enduring multiple surgeries (colostomy, feeding tube, tracheotomy, colostomy reversal). She also has Hirschsprung's Disease and epilepsy.

We started taking Dani Jo to Buzz's Bunch three years ago. She fell in love with VT Basketball. For a kid that had always been in special classes and socially awkward, Buzz's Bunch changed her life. She blossomed into a girl full of confidence and ready to tackle all challenges. Devin Wilson will always be her hero. He was the first player to make time for her at every game. Brendan and Isaiah made her day by going to watch her in Special Olympics. She is addicted to Hokies BB. She doesn't play with dolls. Instead, she lines up her programs from games and teaches school to the players on the cover. She just did a presentation at school last week on Virginia Tech Basketball. When she prays at night, she prays for JRob's foot, PJ's knee, and all the guys on the team. She started sending some videos to the players last year on their birthdays, etc. It kinda took off this year. She loves making these videos for players, recruits, coaches more than anything. She asks me nightly who we can send videos to. (She even sent one to Anthony Harris last night telling him it's ok that he went to UNC). The Sweet 16 trip was an unexpected blessing. She had sent a video to Buzz seeing if he could help her with a ticket for the game. I never wanted anyone to start a GoFundMe page for her to go.

She has been to every game the past three years. I won't lie, it's a challenge at times. We have to get there at least an hour early so she can go talk to the players before the game. She always brings something to give the guys, a Valentine she wrote, a picture she has drawn or a picture she took with them. We don't leave until an hour after every game so that she can hug every player when they come out after the game. We hook her up to her ventilator when we get back to the truck and then drive back home to NC.

Our family doesn't know what the future holds for her. Maybe her purpose is to bless others and bring a smile to their face with videos to basketball players. I do know this--I'm a better person because of Dani Jo.

Seeing you guys give her some props on this board affirms to us that she is making a difference in the lives of others. We invite you to follow our family on Twitter (@HearlFamily). Please stop by and say hello at a game (Section 13, Row G). Dani Jo loves to meet people, although she won't let you leave without taking a picture with her.

I didn't mean to ramble so long, but I'm a proud daddy that loves to talk about his baby girl.