Ohio’s Shaker Heights — In an attempt to continue where she left off, a senior cheerleader and cultural dance trouper at Shaker High embarks on a protracted path to rehabilitation following a life-altering catastrophe.
The first priority for 17-year-old Amani Smith-McDaniel is to leave the hospital, where she has been since mid-June, spending some of that time on life support.
The Shaker community is already supporting her greatly after she lost her left leg due to complications from surgery last month; a GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.
When a ruptured abdominal cyst resulted in sepsis on the evening of June 13, her parents, Arthur and Nicole McDaniel, who worked for the Shaker Heights school district, hurried her to Ahuja Medical Center.
She ended up on an emergency helicopter to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and the main campus of the University Hospitals, where she has been ever since.
Her grandparents, younger brother, and sister have supported her over the entire process, including the six days she was unconscious following the procedures.
When her organs started to fail, physicians battled to preserve her life, raising doubts about her existence, according to Team Amani officials.
Amani survived by some miracle, as well as the strength of love, prayer, and her will to persevere.
Furthermore, she now seems to be growing a bit agitated. In her hospital bed, Nicole noticed that her daughter wakes up feisty.
As Arthur Sr. stated, Amani is certain that she is 100 percent ready to go, but she must first resume eating solid food, which she is also eager to do.
Nicole stated on Tuesday, July 22, that her stomach took a while to heal. However, you might have mistaken her apple sauce for steak today.
Amani went on to say that it was her first meal in a very long time.
On June 13, she was scheduled to have supper with her boyfriend. Later, she called Arthur Sr. to ask him to meet them in their driveway so that he could assist Amani in carrying her up to her family’s duplex, which was on the second and third floors.
The co-captain of the Raiderettes, who went all out but then doubled over in between drills, had been complaining of stomachaches during cheering camp that week.
Denise Johnson, a former Raiderette and Shaker cheerleading coach, described Amani as “one of those kids who does everything” because she is full of energy and a positive attitude.
Johnson also cited Amani’s well-known gymnastics abilities.
Johnson said, “If you’ve ever seen a little girl flipping all the way across the basketball court or the football field, that’s Amani.”
The majority of it was self-taught, according to Nicole, a school administrative assistant, though Amani might have received some acrobatic instruction from her mother as well.
She graduated from Warren Howland High School and was formerly a part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ vaulting hip-hop dance team, the Scream Team.
In addition, Arthur, a school security guard who used to play arena football as a receiver, admitted that he occasionally performed backflips after scores even though he didn’t dance in the endzone.
It dates back to the Solon Comet’s early baseball playing days, when he began by copying Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals.
When Amani experienced stomach troubles during cheerleading camp, her parents and coach advised her to consult a doctor.
However, Amani made it apparent that she did not want to miss Sankofa’s concert on June 14, which featured African-inspired dancing and singing from Shaker High.
Arthur remembers the group’s performance at the high school’s prolonged Martin Luther King Day celebration in January 2024, where she is Sankofa’s head choreographer.
Amani and her seven-year-old sister, Avery, performed a dance routine together in the pre-show before Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, daughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, made a guest appearance.
A happy father said that it was also unforgettable, adding that Arthur Jr., 14, will be a freshman at Shaker High this fall, trying out for quarterback.
A Swenson’s double cheeseburger and the yearly late-night Raider Wake Up team-building event to start her senior year are at the top of Amani’s to-do list after being released from the hospital.
After high school, Nicole said her daughter is still determined to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), which includes campuses in Los Angeles and New York City.
Arthur mentioned that Amani adores New York, and Nicole added that she had also considered Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
She’s interested in the majorettes—or at least the ones without batons—at the land grant institution, but she wants to major in dance and theater.
Amani is also involved in Shaker’s theater performances; last year’s fall musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, was one of her recent favorites.
According to the GoFundMe campaign’s administrators, contributions would be used for:
A personalized prosthetic limb for an energetic teen who dances
Physical treatment and rehabilitation
Home renovations and mobility aids
Continuous medical costs
Support on an emotional level for Amani and her family
According to the organizers, our current objective is to assist Amani in getting well, walking, dancing, and healing. Assist us in providing Amani with the resources, support, and optimism she needs to recover her ambitions.
More than 500 donations had already garnered over $31,000 by July 25.
Johnson remarked, “They are such a great family.” And you wouldn’t anticipate this happening.
Arthur Sr. claimed that after overcoming some of the immediate shock, he and Nicole discussed and prayed about the numerous adjustments that were ahead.
“It has been a journey, but we have come to the realization that God knew we could manage it,” he said. So the question is now, “Why not us?” rather than, “How could this happen?”
Johnson added that having relatives, teammates, and other friends visit Amani in the hospital has been comforting.
Amani went on to say, “My recuperation is going well, thank you for all the prayers, and I will be out soon,” to her remaining followers.
See the Sun Press for further information.
