Nikelle Marie Schaefer

Nikelle was born in San Leandro on January 10, 1971 and passed away peacefully on December 20, 2014 with her parents by her side. She was a tough little cookie and never gave up her fight with Fanconi Anemia. She actually won the fight, to some degree, having been one of the oldest survivors diagnosed with the disease as an infant.

She is survived by her parents, Ron and Alice, and many loving Aunts, Uncles and Cousins and friends. After graduating from High School she attended Diablo Valley College and received her degree as a Library Tech. She was a beautiful, fun loving girl with a great sense of humor. Her favorite spot was NASCAR racing and her favorite driver was Jeff Gorden. She was also a great Bon Jovi fan and could sing most of his songs strictly from memory. Her favorite TV show was NCIS and she had a really big crush on one of its stars, Michael Weatherly.

Visitation will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7817 Old Auburn Road, Citrus Heights, CA 95610, on 12/29/2014 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm , with a vigil service at 6:00 pm. Funeral Mass will also be held at Holy Family Catholic Church on Tuesday, 12/30/2014 at 10 AM, followed immediately by a graveside service at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 7101 Verner Ave., Sacramento, CA 95621.

Thank you to all of the staff at David Grant Medical Center who contributed so much to the quality of life she was able to enjoy over the past few years. You are the world’s best.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nikelle’s name to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund by visiting www.fanconi.org.