I made a quilt for my cousin who is 33 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in March. She is having a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. I decided to ask her what she wanted, and she said she wanted something bright and cheerful. After a bit of discussion, we decided she should pick out the fabric she wanted and the pattern. (I gave her four or five patterns to select from, as I didn't want her to pick one I couldn't do.)
It ended up being beautiful. She loved it. She chose blues and yellows, with daisies, in a pattern called Take Five.
She told me she did not want pink ribbons, as she didn't want to be reminded. It was already something she couldn't forget, but she wanted a quilt that she felt was good for then and later. She had chemotherapy 8 times and the surgery is in two weeks. My quilt has been with her the whole time. (Don't ask me why the chemo was before the surgery...that is what the doctors decided.)
You might consider involving your daughter's friend. My cousin lives in Kansas and I am in Texas, so we did it all through email. I even sent pictures of the quilt "in process."
Dina