Garland woman behind viral dance video loses battle to cancer

A Garland woman whose dance moves and uplifting spirit went viral has lost her battle to cancer, FOX 4 has confirmed.

Ana-Alecia Ayala died on Jan. 18 after more than a year-long battle with uterine sarcoma. She was first diagnosed with the disease in Dec. 2015. A new tumor was later discovered in her spleen in July.

While undergoing chemotherapy, Ayala made a series of videos of her and her friend dancing during treatment. Her most popular video garnered more than 9 million views.

READ MORE: Woman battling cancer spreads joy with viral dance video

“We just wanted to inspire and motivate people in my position to not see cancer as such a depressing, sad, death sentence,” Ayala told FOX4 in a previous interview. “We also wanted to encourage people/loved ones/caregivers to get out of their comfort zones (as my chemo buddy Danielle did for me) and laugh, sing, dance through the pain! Laughter has really been the best medicine for me!”

In November, the Garland mother was invited as a special guest to the KISS FM Jingle Ball Concert. There, she met with celebrities like Meghan Trainor and the Backstreet Boys.

Ayala leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter.