An 11-year-old Choctaw Nation girl who died after suffering from a blood disorder was remembered for her strong spirit at a memorial on Thursday.

After being diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, Tallie Anderson and her family started a campaign to get more American Indians to register as bone marrow donors. About 250 signed up as a result of her efforts.

“She never asked ‘why me?’ She never made an excuse,” said her father Roger Anderson, The Shawnee News-Star reported. “Instead, she made it an excuse to do something.”

Tallie Anderson began chemotherapy in January in preparation for a stem cell transplant. She died on March 14 from complications due to the treatment.

Get the Story:
Saying bye to Tallie (The Shawnee News-Star 3/27)

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