From patient to advocate: Ella Ferris finds purpose through DanceBlue

Video produced by Steve Shaffer with UK Public Relations and Strategic Communications. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. If using a mobile device, click on the gear icon in the same area.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 17, 2026) — When Ella Ferris walks into the UK Golisano Children’s DanceBlue Hematology-Oncology Clinic, she doesn’t just see volunteers and nurses. She sees her past, present and future come together.

As a University of Kentucky nursing student and member of DanceBlue’s Family Relations Committee, Ferris brings a deeply personal connection to the organization’s mission through her own experience as a pediatric cancer patient.

Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at 14, Ferris now volunteers weekly with children receiving similar treatments.

In this Q&A, she shares how DanceBlue shaped her college experience, influenced her career path and transformed her journey from patient to advocate.

UKNow: What does your life at UK look like right now?

Ferris: After three years of pre-nursing, I’m finally in the nursing program at UK. I’m in the hospital and labs weekly, which has been such an amazing, hands-on experience. I’m also involved in a sorority, serving as vice president of member development, and I volunteer with DanceBlue’s Family Relations Committee at the DanceBlue Clinic.

College is busy, but I love it. I get to live a normal college life now and that’s something I didn’t always have. Being here at UK, learning and serving, feels like such a blessing.

UKNow: What was your diagnosis, and how was it treated?

Ferris: I was diagnosed at 14 years old, in July 2020 with a tectal plate glioma, which is a benign brain tumor located on my brainstem. Even though it’s noncancerous, its location makes it inoperable, and removing it would be life-threatening.

The tumor was blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in my brain, causing severe hydrocephalus. To treat that, doctors performed an endoscopic third ventriculostomy, or ETV, which created a new pathway for the fluid to drain. The goal was to relieve pressure on my brain and manage the effects of the tumor rather than remove it.

UKNow: What does ongoing care look like for you today?

Ferris: The tumor still grows, but very slowly, so my care now focuses on monitoring it closely. I have regular MRI scans, at first every few months, and now about every nine months, to make sure the growth stays minimal and doesn’t affect my functioning.

Last summer, I reached five years after surgery without needing chemotherapy or radiation, which allowed me to ring the bell. While the tumor is still there, that moment represented stability and hope. My care continues, but I’m able to live a full, active life.

UKNow: You’ve been open about wanting to be known for more than your diagnosis. What do you want people to understand about you?

Ferris: I want people to know me for who I am, not for my cancer story. I hope people see me as someone who leads with joy, who loves others deeply and wants people to feel safe and supported. I’ve been through dark moments, and I know how easy it is for mental health to get overlooked when your physical health is the focus.

As a future nurse, I want to be someone people can lean on, someone who offers comfort, understanding and joy when things are hard.

UKNow: How did your experience as a cancer patient influence your decision to pursue nursing?

Ferris: It absolutely shaped everything. Before my diagnosis, I had completely different plans. But when I was treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, there was a nurse who made me feel like a person, not a diagnosis. He made me feel safe in a terrifying time.

That experience stayed with me. I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else, to help pull people out of dark valleys the way others helped me through mine.

UKNow: What led you to get involved with DanceBlue when you came to UK?

Ferris: My first exposure to DanceBlue was in high school, when I spoke at a mini marathon. I saw the passion and love college students had for kids they didn’t even know and that stuck with me.

When I came to UK, I joined a DanceBlue team as a freshman and attended the marathon. During those 24 hours, I knew I wanted to do more.

Getting selected for the Family Relations Committee felt like a full-circle moment. It was the first time I really felt ready to use my experience in a meaningful way.

UKNow: What does DanceBlue mean to you?

Ferris: It’s a privilege. Sitting in a room full of people who all genuinely care about pediatric cancer patients is incredibly powerful. DanceBlue allows me to be there for kids not just in joyful moments, but also on really hard days and that matters.

It’s a community rooted in love, service and joy. It’s something I would do forever if I could.

UKNow: What is it like to volunteer in the clinic after knowing what it’s like to be a patient?

Ferris: At first, it was really daunting. I didn’t know if I could handle the emotional weight of it. But over time, I’ve learned how to show up consistently, in moments of joy and fear.

Now, when I walk into the clinic, I feel ready. I know how meaningful small moments can be. Playing a game, laughing, being present those things bring real healing. Sometimes joy is the most powerful medicine.

UKNow: How has DanceBlue shaped the kind of nurse you hope to become?

Ferris: DanceBlue has influenced me just as much, if not more, than my own cancer experience. Seeing nurses bring joy into a place that could feel so isolating has been life changing.

I want to take that with me into my nursing career, especially in pediatric oncology. DanceBlue has taught me that even five minutes of intentional care can completely change someone’s experience and that’s something I’ll always prioritize.

UKNow: When you think about the future, what gives you hope?

Ferris: The community. The way people show up for these kids through time, energy, fundraising and love, gives me so much hope. DanceBlue proves that compassion and joy can exist even in the hardest circumstances.

Wherever I go, I’ll take pieces of DanceBlue with me. It’s something special, and it’s something the world needs more of.