Norberto, You will be Missed.

If you have been a part of any of our Hero Holiday D.R. trips, you will probably remember Norberto (some called him Norbertico). At the age of three, while on a motoconcho with his father, they were hit by a drunk driver and from that point forward, he was confined to a wheelchair and had paralysis from the waist down, with permanent damage in some of his organs. This past spring, Norberto contracted dengue fever and his body began to shut down. In need of many blood transfusions and almost continual hospitalization, he continued to inspire many of our Hero Holiday participants and staff with his gentle spirit and incredible smile whenever we would see him.On August 14, at 7:50 AM, unable to have the strength to defeat his illness any longer, Norberto passed away with his grandmother by his side in the Santiago hospital. He will be missed by many of us and his story is now written on our hearts. We will miss his soft brown eyes smiling and beckoning us to sit beside him for a minute or to smile back. We will miss his presence at all of our community gatherings at the school, and most of all, we will miss the opportunity to see him in the years to come.One of six children in his family, Norberto lived with his grandma in Arroyo Seco, as his own parents couldn’t care for him. His grandma loved him deeply and would often thank different team members for the gift that the school was for him and all the children in the community.Many of you have been a part of bringing hope to Norberto, his grandma and an entire community that only a few years ago, dreamed of having a school in their community. Today, their lives are a part of our legacy together.Some of you helped out financially when Norberto needed medical care and for that we are grateful. Some of you even took the time to travel and visit him in the hospital, and your kindness will never be forgotten.It’s our hope in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) that lives like Norberto’s will remind us all of why we do what we do – because no act of kindness, compassion or generosity is ever wasted.