Nicholas

Our sweet Nicholas was only 11 years old, but in those 11 years he lived more fully than most people do in a lifetime. We made memories, laughed, traveled, spoiled him, and loved him with everything we had. He was truly happy. At home, Nicholas ran the house. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, he would wake up to make breakfast, or he would wake us up, and his first words were always, "Where are we eating today?" We would all go out to eat somewhere good. He was funny, kind, sweet, goofy, full of life, and had the strongest faith. He loved Fortnite, Xbox, Legos, and food, especially Galbi Korean BBQ short ribs. Even in one of the hardest moments of his life, just before he was intubated, he was surrounded by doctors and nurses. He looked at his papi and said, "Go home and marinate the meat." Everyone in the room smiled. That was our Nicholas. Even in the scariest moments, he made people laugh. But what made Nicholas so special wasn't just his smile. It was his heart. He always put everyone else before himself. During his hospital stays, he came up with ideas to make the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff smile. He organized fruit stands, snack bags, ice cream parfaits, goodie bags, prank bags, and arts and crafts kits. He even made his parents put together 25 gift bags to hand out. He would always tell us we have to feed the nurses. The staff at CHOC told us they had never had a patient who gave back the way Nicholas did. In his final days, more than 20 nurses and doctors came to his bedside, not because they had to, but because they loved him. He left a piece of his heart with every person he met. Nicholas beat cancer three times. He reached remission three times. He went through two bone marrow transplants. His doctors couldn't always explain how he kept fighting or how his body kept doing what seemed impossible. He endured more pain and hardship than any child ever should, yet if you look through his pictures, you'll see the same thing in almost every single one: a huge smile. He was always laughing, always joking, always excited to go back to school, and always counting down the days until he could come home. Our Nicholas lost his battle, but he lost it cancer-free. That sentence will never make sense to me. Nicholas didn't just fight. He loved with everything he had. He gave without expecting anything back. He made people feel seen, loved, and important. He changed lives, including ours. We will forever be proud that God chose us to be his mommy and papi. He was truly one of one. We ask that you honor Nicholas by helping someone else, because that's exactly what he would have wanted. Whether it's an act of kindness, a donation, or simply making someone's day a little brighter, that's how our sweet boy lived his life. Nicholas, papasito... we will keep making breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. We will marinate the meat. We will help the less fortunate. We will say your name every single day. Thank you for teaching us what true strength, courage, and unconditional love look like. We will love you for the rest of our lives, and we will miss you every second until we get to hold you again. Until we meet again, my sweet boy. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we learn how to live without our sweet boy. Forever 11. Forever our hero. Forever our Nicholas.