the indiana native , who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer shortly after her 18th birthday , had defied doctors ' expectations after they told her that she would not live past december .
instead , she played four games with her team at mount st. joseph university in cincinnati and raised more than $ 1.5 million for research into the cancer , diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma .
but in september , doctors told her she would n't make it past december - and after years as a standout high school basketball player .