Date of Birth: 09/08/2005

Date of Death: 01/29/2014

A Life Celebrated: Katherine “Katie” for short, was a sweet, loving, girly girl. She was born in Riverside, CA, and resided in Ontario, CA for most of her short life. Katie had the gift of making everyone she met feel special. She had a compliment and a hug for everyone. She left behind her brother Andres, whom she loved and worried about, her father Luis whom she had in the palm of her hand. And her mother Adriana of whom Katherine once said, “I was sent here for you mommy.” She also left behind great grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends and an endless amount of faithful Facebook friends who followed her story on her page, Katie’s Battle. Katie loved to sing and dance and especially loved to go shopping.

Treasured Memory: Katie left us with many beautiful memories. When she was 4, she insisted on riding an elephant at a fair. Her dad refused to get on it, so her mom had to swallow her fear and get on with her. She had no fear of that elephant or of the altitude. At the age of 5, she participated in tap/ballet class and even got to participate in a dance number. She didn’t have any problem being up front center stage. She loved the attention. We then attempted to introduce her to sports and signed her up for T- Ball. The very first day of practice, she came home dressed in her baseball pants and cleats. I thought she looked adorable! But she was upset. “I look like a boy!” she exclaimed. She ran to her room, and came back 5 minutes later dressed in a skirt and sparkly flats. “This is much better”, she said. When she was 6, she surprised us at a family BBQ and performed several of her favorite songs. She was born to perform and be the center of attention.

Remember Always: Katie was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 7 on January 29, 2013, but when she passed away, she had the spirit and wisdom of an 80 year old. Her innocence was taken away by a horrible monster. She was thrown into a world full of doctors, nurses, hospitals, needles, and treatments that would prolong her life, but at the same time would destroy her beautiful little body. In time, she accepted her battle and became fully aware of the outcome before we did. Slowly and with much love and care, Katherine helped us accept her destiny. She would often tell us, “No matter what happens, always remember that I love you.” Through all this, she never complained. She was so selfless and noble and was more concerned about our well being than her own. She knew where she was going. “God is first,” she said. Our Katie went to heaven on Wednesday, January 29, 2014.

Acknowledgements In the year that Katie was sick, we had many people help us both financially and emotionally. Our hospice company provided us with the perfect team to care for Katie. Companion’s nurse Martha Gonzales understood what we were going through and Roxana Gonzales became Katie’s best friend. Our immediate family did what they could as they themselves were suffering along with us. A child’s terminal illness is not something easy to go through, yet they stood by us despite their own fears. We also developed a second family in my co-workers. They offered us so much support when they didn’t have to. Without their help and that of many other agencies and supporters on Katie’s facebook page we wouldn’t have been able to make it. But most importantly, what really saved us were the prayers we received on a daily basis from so many people. We are eternally grateful and humbled by their outpouring of love.