A Missouri school secretary has died after suffering severe head injuries when she was kicked by a crowd surfer at a rock festival.
Danielle Uskiwich, 28, passed away on Tuesday, 10 days after she was accidentally struck in the head by another concertgoer while the rock band Sleep Theory was performing at Pointfest in Maryland Heights, Missouri, on May 16, according to her family.
In a statement shared on GoFundMe on Wednesday, her cousins wrote: “It is with absolutely shattered hearts that we share that our beautiful Danielle passed away on May 26th at 1:54 PM.”
Danielle Uskiwich, 28, died after sustaining a head injury at a music festival on May 26, 2026.
Uskiwich, an attendance secretary at St. Charles High School located about six miles north of the concert venue, initially did not think the injury was serious. However, she was hospitalized after developing a severe headache three days after the event.
Doctors later discovered she had a brain bleed, which they believe was caused by an accidental kick from another concertgoer.
During her week-long hospitalization, Uskiwich suffered two strokes and underwent emergency surgery. Doctors reportedly removed six pints of blood and several blood clots.
Her family also revealed that an “underlying condition” was identified during surgery—one that may not have been discovered without the brain bleed.
Following the procedure on May 22, Uskiwich was placed into a medically induced coma to reduce brain swelling while her body continued to recover.
Before her death, she made a final act of generosity by becoming an organ donor.
“Even through unimaginable grief, Danielle’s immediate family made the incredibly selfless decision to honor her giving spirit through organ donation so that others may have a second chance at life,” her relatives wrote.
She was later honored with a “beautiful honor walk” through the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by family, friends, and hospital staff, before being transported to St. Louis’ Mid-America Transplant for organ donation, according to her family.
Uskiwich had become engaged to her fiancé, Jason, in August 2025, and the couple had planned to marry in April.
“We have a long road ahead of us, but we’re going to get there! There’s no one tougher in the world to get through this,” Jason wrote on May 23. “I love you so much!! You have 11 months to get ready for the aisle, babos!”
She is also being remembered as a lifelong St. Louis Blues fan, with her favorite player being TJ Oshie, as well as for her love of music and travel.
“Danielle was loved by so many. She had the kindest heart, a beautiful smile, and a spirit that could light up any room. She was the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward because of her warmth, humor, and the way she made others feel seen and loved,” her family wrote.
Pointfest is an annual music festival hosted by local alternative rock radio station 105.1 “The Point,” held at the 20,000-seat Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, about 22 miles from downtown St. Louis.
The festival’s headliner, Staind, closed the show after performances from Blue October, Mammoth, Highly Suspect, and Sleep Theory.
The venue includes about 7,000 covered seats in general admission areas, along with lawn seating that increases total capacity to roughly 13,000 additional attendees.
