Fort Wayne teen loses battle to cancer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A Fort Wayne foster child lost her long battle with cancer late Wednesday night. When Quinnasha Henderson's cancer returned earlier this year, I-Team 8 documented her fight to get Department of Child Services and the courts to approve chemotherapy. But the cancer was too advanced, and Quinnasha died late Wednesday night. She died quietly, her foster mother, Paulette Nellems, by her side.

I-Team 8's Deanna Dewberry visited the 15-year-old two weeks ago, and her only hope was to return to school where she was a cheerleader.

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She loved school, and hoped to one day attend Ball State University. When university leaders learned of that wish this spring, they gave the youngster the opportunity to be a student for a day. She attended classes, visited with professors, met a dean and had lunch with students.

Last month, doctors told the teenager she was dying. She quietly made plans for her own funeral, telling her foster mother she wanted a service filled with pictures, music, and joy. She wanted the funeral to celebrate not only the life she lived but also the life she believed awaited her.

But initially there were questions about whether DCS would pay for a burial. The agency has told the foster family that it will, but will not provide funding for the repast at the church and required rental fees. Family and friends are making donations to help with those expenses.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15. Anyone who would like to help with the family's expenses can send a donation to Wells Fargo Bank, 111 E. Wayne Street - First Floor, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802.