Fundraiser Started For Mahwah High School Cheerleader, Who Succumbed To Cancer

MAHWAH, NJ — A former Mahwah High School cheerleader who had a large social media following passed away last week after "on and off" battles with cancer, according to her obituary and a fundraiser.

Ava James Rasmussen, 18, died on March 13.

"Cheerleading was her passion," the obituary notes, "and despite her on and off battles with cancer, nothing stood in her way of being either on the field or the mat on game day or competition weekends. While Ava enjoyed cheering for her Mahwah T-Birds, there was nothing she loved more than all-star cheer.

"...Ava graduated from Mahwah High School in June of 2023, albeit from her hospital bed, and was excited to attend the University of Alabama in the fall."

A fundraiser started for Rasmussen back in June of 2020 noted that she had relapsed a third time, and "As Ava has shown in her last two fights, she is amazingly strong and is ready to take on her Leukemia head-on."

A more recent fundraiser, for funeral costs and medical bills, had raised $93,000 by Thursday and can be found here.

Rasmussen's family also said in her obituary that memorial donations can be made to Goryeb Children's Hospital. Her obituary can be found here.