Action 4 first introduced little Lourdes “Lou Lou” Reyna’s story about her battling cancer.
Many Rio Grande Valley residents offered to help the girl by donating blood, platelets and bone marrow. However, little Lou Lou died the morning of November 26.
Family and friends remembered Lou Lou at a service at Baptist Temple Church in McAllen Saturday.
The 11-year-old from Rio Grande City was diagnosed with two forms of rare leukemia at the age of 10.
She began chemo therapy but Lou Lou lost her 10-month battle.
Although at the time she died she was leukemia free, her weak immune system was no match for a fungal infection.
Those close to Lou Lou said her story has now reached people throughout the world. Lou Lou had started a blog to keep in contact with her extended family during her treatments, but now she has her own web site www.LouLouReyna.com
Patti Kohrt who helped her with the web site said it has had great success.
"It just went nuts - and in a seven day period there had already been 8,000 visits,” Kohrt said. “Just in the seven days, just on the (web site) itself in the last 24 hours when we've had to post that we lost her, we've had 4,000 hits.”
Now Kohrt and the family are hoping to keep the web site going to serve as an inspiration to others battling cancer and their families.
"That's just typical Lou Lou - she had a real desire to help anybody,” Kohrt said. “We've actually got some ways to continue her legacy and message and pick it up and help other children here in the Valley. When you don't have a voice you need a voice for you.”
To honor Lou Lou’s spirit people in attendance wore purple - her favorite color – and go to see some of the videos she had recorded in hopes of one day becoming a photographer.
One of Lou Lou’s nurses even dedicated her the song “Jesus Take the Wheel.”
Martha Beltran, a family friend, said this was a reminder of how fragile life can be.
“Life is just an instant and we have to live it to it's fullest potential,” Beltran said, “near God, giving our best and making sure our children have a bright future."
Lou Lou is survived by her father and mother and three siblings.
Viewing will be held November 28 at Hernandez Funeral Home in Rio Grande City at noon followed by a service at 4 p.m.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT