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Brownsville mom whose daughter was murdered rewarded for selflessness
Posted: 08.30.2012 at 11:23 PM
Ryan Wolf

Ryan Wolf is an anchor and reporter for Action 4 News.

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Esther Galvan spends most days at her business, Heavenly Hands, a wellness center on 1284 Paredes Line Road in Brownsville.

She had no idea Action 4 News would be stopping by on Thursday afternoon to reward her on Pay it 4Ward.

"Hi, is Esther here?" Action 4's Ryan Wolf asked.

As part of the elaborate surprise, Ryan pretended to be interviewing business owners in the shopping center about insect complaints.

"No, I haven't had any," Esther said.  "You can come in cause I just finished doing a massage."

Her friend Lettie Perez scheduled a bogus appointment for a friend's massage to ensure Esther, the person she's nominating for the $400 Pay it 4Ward prize, wouldn't be busy at the time.

Ryan breaks the news why Action 4 News is really there.

"I'll tell you what, I actually know a lot about you because of your friend," Ryan said to Esther.  "Lettie right here has shared some incredible things about you."

"You have helped me a lot," Lettie said.  "I wanted to thank you for all that you have done.  You have done a lot in the past two years.  You've been a great friend.  I've been unemployed, you've helped me.  You gave me a job here.  You knew I didn't have money and you gave me money for gas.  I have my dad in the nursing home and you have helped me a lot.  On behalf of Pronto Insurance and Action 4 News, I would like to give you $400 to Pay it 4Ward."

"Oh my God," a shocked Esther responded.  "You need it two.  I have no words.  I'm so grateful for her because when my daughter passed, she's been there."

Exactly two years ago this week, Tiffany Galvan was brutally murdered.

She was just 17-years-old at the time.

Her ex-boyfriend, Javier De La Rosa, is serving a 90 year sentence for the crime.

Esther has turned to the power of faith and friendship to help cope with the loss.

"It makes me feel so good," she said.  "I'm so proud of myself because in spite of everything I've gone through all these two years, I think I became a better person."

Just as Esther is there for Lettie and her father, she is there for her as evident in a photograph that shows the two at Tiffany's gravesite on the 2 year anniversary of her death.

"I feel that she's happy for me and she's proud of me," Esther said.

"What would Tiffany say right now if she was watching?" Ryan asked. 

"'Thank you mommy,'" she responded.  "'I love you for what you're doing.'  And I love her too."

Domingo Reyna awarded the $400 prepaid MasterCard on behalf of Pronto Insurance.

"We recognize everything that you've done," he said.  "And this is what the Pay it 4Ward is all about.  It's giving without expecting anything back."

Despite the loss of a loved one and a struggling business, Esther proves you can still have a kind heart when you Pay it 4Ward.

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