Support Melanie's Legacy with Kindness

Hi there! My name is Daniel Lara, the father of Melanie, and if you are reading this, thank you so much for taking the time to do so. My family has just experienced an unimaginable tragic loss last Monday, 09/23/2024.

We are all doing our best to lean on each other in these difficult times and doing our very best to stay strong for our beautiful 15-year-old daughter, Melanie Esmeralda Villalobos Lara.

Melanie was just an amazing teenage girl all around. She was always laughing, being goofy, always smiling, putting others before herself, and just had an infectious smile. Melanie not only loved life but she loved and cared for her family, her friends, her teachers, and even strangers that she found a connection with at random as well.

She has been the bravest little girl that I have come to know! Never scared to speak her mind or to stand up for herself and others regardless if the odds were against her. She still fought, and believe me, she fought real hard!

She did it all! She cooked, she worked in construction (Sheetrock, taping, mudding, and painting) to name a few, she wrote poems and lyrics, she enjoyed coloring, arts and crafts, and she was a huge fan of physical contact sports like boxing.

My daughter Melanie always had this spark to her that she just couldn’t take no as an answer. She always got creative and figured out a way to make things happen, and that right there, is what always made her stand out.

I will never understand, but all I know is that our hearts are broken and really empty right now. I wish I still had you here, I wish so much that you didn’t leave us so young! You still had so much potential, so much of the world to see, so much life to live, so many opportunities that lied ahead, so many goals to reach, so many crazy adventures to go experience, school to finish, brothers and sisters that looked up to you, just so many things that I can continue to name off but now that’s no longer the case.

You touched a lot of hearts, Melanie, but you’ll forever have a special place in mine!!

I love you so much and I hope that you’re in a better place now. Until we meet again, princess!

We will forever love and miss you!

In Jesus' name, amen

Melanie Esmeralda Villalobos Lara

12/29/2008~09/23/2024

All I'm asking is that if you can donate anything, every penny will go to my daughter’s tombstone expenses. We need all the help we can get, and it would be so greatly appreciated. If you are unable to contribute at this time, I just ask that you please share this with your friends and family, and that would mean everything to us as well.