A young girl from Bristol Township’s Levittown section is set to have a better Christmas than last year’s.
On Sunday morning, motorcycles and emergency vehicles drove up Mimosa Lane, where Danica Mulholland lives. She thought it was just Santa coming by on his annual tour of the area, but then the motorcade stopped right outside her home.
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Danica, 9, was thrown off, but she soon realized that the dozens of people were there to wish her a Merry Christmas and make her holiday a bit more special.
Danica was diagnosed with brain cancer, specially medulloblastoma, on Christmas Day 2018 after a CT scan at St. Mary Medical Center found something concerning. She took a helicopter trip from the Middletown hospital to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and spent weeks at the facility.
John Mulholland, Danica’s dad, said the group of emergency responders and motorcycle clubs walked up to his daughter and her 15-year-old sister and provided them with Christmas gifts. They even brought Santa.
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After a year filled with proton radiation therapy, high-dose chemotherapy, and surgery, Danica needed a break, something to bring back some normalcy.
“Them coming out was nice. It was amazing and she enjoyed every minute of it,” Mulholland said.
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The surprise came after Danica hosted two toy drives for other pediatric patients at CHOP. Her dad said one raised 160 toys to bring joy to her fellow patients and a recent holiday toy drive brought in 700 items for the kids at the hospital.
Tina Nicol-Grady, who helped organize the Sunday event with motorcycle club Fire and Iron Station 139, said making Danica’s Christmas was worth all the effort. The groups have hosted similar surprises for area families in need over the past few years.
“She’s going through this and she had her own toy drive for kids in the hospital,” Nicol-Grady noted.
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Mulholland thanked all those who planned and took part in the surprise.
The surprise for Danica featured the Falls Township, Fairless Hills, Levittown No. 2, and Tullytown fire companies. It also featured support from the Hellraisers Motorcycle Club, Fire and Iron Motorcycle Club, Warriors Watch, and Ladies of Valor Empowerment, and the Children Without Parents Christmas Toy Drive.
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In a video to all those who surprised her, Danica had a simple message: “thank you and Merry Christmas!”
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