Collegiate Times

Emily Dao and boyfriend Steven Chiang in Washington shortly after she began treatment for colon cancer.

Emily Dao, 20, who was the subject of a short series in the Collegiate Times last year chronicling her diagnosis of late stage colon cancer, died Aug 12.

Dao, who had been stricken by a cancer that is extremely rare in women her age, underwent a vigorous and debilitating chemotherapy regimen to combat the tumors and granted a series of interviews to the Collegiate Times to follow her journey through attempted recovery, and ultimate acceptance.

"I have so many people that care for me, and that is truly the most important thing to me," Emily wrote in a February e-mail. "I wouldn't be able to get through all of this without my sisters, friends, faculty and all the other good-hearted people (random people that contact me because they've heard about my situation even though I don't know them; they do it just because they care so much) that have been giving me such strength and encouragement."

In the early part of a promising year for the accounting and information systems major, Dao said she had stomach pains over the span of several weeks so she sought a medical examination. She learned in November 2008 she had Stage IV Colon Cancer. Her doctors described her case as "terminal."

Dao immediately left Tech to have surgery to remove a large portion of a five-inch diameter tumor that had blocked her colon and trapped dangerous toxins inside her body. After recovering from the operation, Dao then started a long series of potent chemotherapeutic treatments.

The sessions exhausted her and she slept 20 to 23 hours a day.

She developed large dark blotches on her skin and lost a significant amount of weight off her already slight frame. She initially took the treatments in stride and kept up a high level of optimism, and even had an exclusive internship at Ernst & Young where she worked with major clients including Marriott.

"I'm currently on a huge client that they have -- Marriott International," Emily wrote in February. "It's a busy season right now, so I've been working overtime every week, but I love it."

Bad news from her doctors caused her significant alarm. They told her the treatments had been useless. The tumors had metastasized to her lungs and liver, and had grown in size since starting the drugs.

In the spring of 2009 Dao started experimental treatments at Georgetown Medical center. Her sorority held a series of philanthropic events in her honor under the banner of "Down for Dao."

They had a concert at the Lyric, sponsored a Relay for Life team, and campaigned for donations to help with the bills from her medical expenses. Dao, who later embraced her plight, expressed thanks to her sorority sisters for their help, and enduring compassion."Nothing makes me happier than being at Virginia Tech, and it's really the greatest school on Earth," Emily wrote in February. "Nowhere else would I meet such great people that are so supportive and helpful."

Survivors include her parents, and a sister.