Camilo “Cami” Alejandro Parra.

Born on March 1st, 2017 — a boy with eyes that sparkled brighter than the stars he loved to stare at.

From the very beginning, Cami filled every room with laughter.

His favorite toys were Luigi from Mario and Woody from Toy Story. He would sing to himself for hours, humming gentle tunes that seemed to carry light wherever he went.

To his family, he wasn’t just a son or a brother.

He was sunshine.

He was pure joy.

But in December 2021, that light met its greatest challenge.

Doctors spoke words that shattered every parent’s heart —

Medulloblastoma, a rare and aggressive brain tumor.

Cami was only four years old.

From that moment, childhood changed.

Hospitals replaced playgrounds.

Tubes and machines became part of daily life.

His laughter was now accompanied by the steady rhythm of monitors and the quiet hum of ventilators.

Yet even in the darkest moments, Cami found ways to smile.

He’d crack tiny jokes with his nurses, wave to strangers in the hallway, and ask for songs instead of silence.

His courage became contagious — a spark that ignited hope in everyone who met him.

Through endless treatments, surgeries, and scans, his spirit remained unbroken. He endured what grown men could not, and he did it with grace.

There were nights his mother sat by his bedside, clutching his hand as alarms echoed in the room.

She whispered prayers no child should need.

“Please, just one more good day,” she’d say.

And often, Cami would give her that — a day with laughter, a day without fear, a day where hope returned.

But as the months went on, his body grew weary.

The medicines grew stronger.

The good days became rare.

By October 2024, the hospital room had become their second home.

Machines surrounded him, breathing for him, fighting for him.

Every breath he took felt like a miracle.

On October 24th, his oxygen levels began to fall.

His little lungs struggled.

Doctors worked tirelessly — X-rays, chest tubes, transfusions, machines — everything humanly possible.

His team called him a fighter, and they meant it.

His mother never left his side.

She brushed his hair, held his hand, sang his favorite songs, even when his eyes were closed.

She knew he could still hear her.

Day after day, his medical updates read like war reports — chest collapsed, lungs filled with air pockets, clots, transfusions.

Each word carried weight.

Each line was a plea for a miracle.

But even in his weakest moments, Cami continued to touch lives.

 Nurses brought him small gifts. Friends sent drawings.

 Aunts, uncles, cousins — all gathered around his story, holding him with love from near and far.

Then, on the morning of November 6th, 2024, at 7:24 a.m., surrounded by those who adored him, Cami took his final breath.

He was seven years old.

The world grew quieter that morning.

His aunt, Maria Botero, wrote words that captured the ache of goodbye:

“And then I heard the angel say, ‘He’s with you every day.’
The sun, the wind, the moon, the stars will forever be around,

reminding you of the love you shared,
and the peace he has finally found.”

In that moment, heaven gained a little boy with a brave heart — a child who faced the unthinkable with love and light.

His family now carries his memory everywhere — in the way sunlight filters through curtains, in the way laughter fills a quiet house, in the songs he once loved to sing.

Cami’s story is not just one of loss.

It’s one of courage.

 Of a child who taught the world how to live, even while dying.

His mother often says that every time the wind brushes her cheek, she feels him.

Every rainbow, every star — it’s Cami saying, “I’m still here, Mama.”

The world remembers him not for how he left, but for how brightly he shone.

Seven short years — but a lifetime of love.

💛 Fly high, sweet boy.

You are free now.

 No more tubes, no more pain, no more hospital walls — just peace, stars, and endless light.

You will always be forever seven.

The Garbage Truck That Made a Birthday Unforgettable.437

HOLY COW… it was the absolute best morning ever for Brooklyn—and for me. What a way to kick off her birthday!

Thursdays have always been Brooklyn’s favorite day of the week. For about a year now, she’s anxiously awaited the arrival of the garbage truck. It started small—just waving from the window—but quickly became a full-blown ritual. Soon, we had to be outside, ready and waiting. And on the rare occasions we missed it? I’d drive around the neighborhood searching for the truck just to make sure she got her wave. Every Thursday, without fail, her excitement would light up the morning, and my heart would swell seeing the joy that one simple honk and wave from a stranger could bring.

But today, her birthday, we were about to take things a step further. We wrapped up one of her birthday cupcakes and waited eagerly for the garbage truck to arrive. When it finally came down our street, Brooklyn ran to the corner, tiny hands waving furiously, eyes sparkling with anticipation. I motioned for the driver to pull over. He did, stepping out with the kind of smile that instantly melts hearts. Brooklyn froze for a moment, awestruck, as she handed him the cupcake. I explained how much he made our Thursdays special, how the honks and waves had become a highlight of our week.

Then he said something that completely melted me. He told us that he looks forward to seeing us every Thursday, too. He admitted he has a meeting every Thursday morning but hurries through it just to make time for our little ritual. He shared that he doesn’t have kids of his own but mentors several children and loves being part of their lives in any way he can. Right then, I realized what a rare gift this man has—he spreads joy without ever asking for anything in return. And even though I never learned his name, for now, he will forever be “our favorite awesome smiley garbage man.”

After he left, we headed to daycare, and Brooklyn was unusually quiet in the backseat. I asked if she was okay, and she whispered, “Mommy, I’m so happy.” And that’s when it hit me—this tiny act of kindness, this simple weekly interaction, had created a memory that would stay with her for a lifetime.

So to “our favorite awesome smiley garbage man,” THANK YOU. Thank you for the joy you bring to Brooklyn every Thursday morning. Thank you for making her birthday extra special and for giving my heart a little extra warmth that day. It may seem like a small gesture, a honk, a wave, a smile—but to us, it means the world. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make life extraordinary, and today, you reminded us of that in the most beautiful way.