Jose E. Collazo Co-Founder & Director
Dania Collazo Co-Founder & Executive Director

Jose and Dania Collazo are the proud parents of Daniel and Daniella. The family was struck by childhood cancer when Daniella was diagnosed with stage III Neuroblastoma with OMS months before her second birthday. Broken hearted, they were forced to navigate this new unknown world. Together they began to educate themselves with the help of doctors and nurses to do what needed to be done to save their daughter’s life, while still caring for Daniella’s brother Daniel. During long hospital stays Dania witnessed the suffering of not just her own daughter, but the pain and suffering of other parents and children going through childhood cancer. Dania vowed to make a difference and promised to create an organization that would help support children and families going through childhood cancer and support research that is so underfunded. Dania documented Daniella’s journey through social media and began generating awareness of childhood cancer and the realities of dealing with this disease.

Jose & Dania Collazo, with the help of Charo Bolanos, Esq., founded Team Daniella’s Foundation in 2015 while there daughter was still in treatment. Together they have chosen to turn a horrible situation no parent wants to be faced with into a positive influence in people’s lives. They have promised to dedicate their lives to making a difference in the childhood cancer world by providing a helping hand to children going through cancer and funding promising research.

Jennifer Merino, Board Member

Jennifer Merino is an attorney and cousin of Jose and Dania Collazo. She was one of the first family members they called when Daniella was taken to the hospital for a second round of tests to determine why she was having such horrible symptoms. Jennifer sat with Jose and Dania as they learned of their daughter’s diagnosis. She attended meetings with medical staff to discuss treatment options and stayed up at night researching medical terms and potential symptoms. What do you tell the people you love when they’ve been through a hell no parent can imagine? Well, for one, you tell them that you will help them achieve their dream of helping others in any you can. In her professional life, Jennifer is General Counsel to an agency that investigates government fraud, waste, and abuse. As Board Member of Team Daniella’s Foundation she provides advice to Jose and Dania in their quest to help as many families as possible.

Madelyn Rodriguez
Executive Campaign Director

Madelyn Perez, Executive Campaign Director for Team Daniella's Childhood Cancer Foundation passion and drive to work for local non-profit organizations began with her first job, raising funds for underprivileged children for the Junior Chamber of Commerce. She knew then that her purpose would be to assist kids in any way that she could. Her mission, is to able to help as many local families impacted by childhood cancer "I want to raise awareness within the schools and in the process educate the children on how they can be a part of their community & inspire them to help those families in need through fundraising. I believe that it has to start somewhere & this is where it begins, with the children, for the children."