Joaquin Salazar’s Life Celebrated at Olmito Elementary School

Joaquin Salazar loved attending Olmito Elementary School. His smile was contagious, and everyone could easily see that he was a very happy four-year-old.
His seat is now empty in the Pre-Kindergarten classroom.

Joaquin was born with critical congenital heart disease on July 9, 2009. He had his first heart surgery at seven days old, the second at six months old, and the third recently at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi. He died Oct. 4.

Teachers, classmates, family and friends gathered at OES cafeteria Wednesday for “Joaquin Salazar: A Celebration of Life.” A photo gallery of the event is posted on the district website www.lfcisd.net.

Joaquin’s parents, Paul and Christina Salazar of Brownsville, also spoke at the one-hour ceremony, which was highlighted by the release of balloons including a balloon arch that spelled J-O-A-Q-U-I-N.

Joaquin attended OES in the Pre-School Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) as a 3-year-old during the 2012-13 school year and as a 4-year-old to start the current year.

Eric Juarez, who was his teacher both years, also gave an emotional talk about Joaquin’s love for school. Principal Linda Rodriguez also addressed the audience and two videos and a slide show about Joaquin’s life were presented.

“His love knew no limits or age and despite being faced with incredible challenges, he faced everything with that sweet smile,” his mother Christina said. “Let us remember that there are a lot of children like Joaquin who wake up each morning faced with adversity. In the brief time he spent here with his family and friends, he managed to impact us all in a mighty way.”