Third-year transfer Danielle Salyer passes away at 22
By Jennifer Case
Jan. 25, 2004 9:00 p.m.
Danielle Salyer, a third-year microbiology student, artist and
musician, died Friday morning. She was 22.
Salyer was admitted to Northridge Hospital Medical Center on
Jan. 19 due to complications relating to diabetes and later
suffered cardiac arrest. Family members said she was taken off life
support Friday morning and passed away surrounded by her loved
ones.
Friends said she brought joy to the people she worked with in
the biochemistry lab at UCLA, the band in which she played the
oboe, and to her family and friends. They said she will be greatly
missed.
Salyer transferred to UCLA from a community college in Woodland
Hills this fall.
“One of the things her dad said to us when we were
visiting at the hospital that stuck with me, was that one of
Danielle’s dreams as a girl was to come to UCLA. Her parents
were extremely proud of her for accomplishing such a big
goal,” said Megan Plotkowski, a graduate student in
biochemistry, who was a friend and lab partner of Salyer.
Salyer was interested in research on diabetes and was studying a
protein that interacts with the insulin receptor through the
biochemistry lab at UCLA, said Marisa Baron, a lab mentor and
graduate student in biochemistry.
In addition to being a dedicated researcher, Salyer also spent
much of her free time painting and playing the oboe and French
horn.
She entered her artwork in the Associated Students of UCLA
competition, Art in the Union, and one of her paintings was even
selected to be displayed in the student union in February.
Salyer’s friends said she was always in a cheerful mood,
and many people didn’t know she was diabetic.
“To me, what was so amazing about her was that you would
never know she had a disease. She would always strive to be the
best she could, and most people never knew she had diabetes,”
Baron said.
Many of her loved ones also said Salyer lived every day to the
fullest, and tried her best to be there for all of her friends.
“I’ve learned so much from her. Because of her, I am
so much more open to new things. She gave so much to so many
people,” said best friend and roommate, Kari Morrissey, a
fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student.
“We love her so much and will miss her,” said
Salyer’s younger sister, Emily.
