Luis Enrique Aguilar Santos' Obituary
Luis Enrique Aguilar Santos was born November 18th, 1992 in Tegucigalpa Honduras. Luis died February 14th, 2015 after a four year battle with Osteosarcoma Cancer. The international work of St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital may have brought Luis to Memphis, but it was his heart and caring for the other patients that made him admired and loved by families worldwide. Luis was 17 went he came to St Jude having first been treated by the St Jude affiliated hospital in Honduras. His love of playing music became a tool for him to brighten the days of other patients in the hospital. He was known for taking his Chemo on the second floor observation deck where he would play guitar and sing to the younger children. He used that time with the children to develop relationships with them, allowing him to help them through some of their most difficult times. Luis shared his love for the children and the work of St. Jude to anyone who would listen. He traveled to Miami, Las Vegas, and New York to share the message of St. Jude’s work in the Hispanic communities around the world. Luis, along with fellow St Jude Patient Mckendree Walker of Memphis and numerous St Jude staff personnel, developed a program to help the children of Hospital Escuela, which was where Luis was first treated. Luis, as a young man, played competitive soccer with the hopes of playing for Honduras in the World Cup. Cancer took his leg and knee bone, but the loss of his soccer dream soon faded as the titanium leg and knee given to him by St Jude gave him ability to bring joy and hope to so many others. His love and trust of God never wavered despite the difficulties of being a cancer patient. Luis is survived by his mother and father, Berta Lidia Santos and Allen Rafael Aguilar and his brother Dr. Alan Aguilar. His fellow patient and friend Mckendree Taylor Walker who will continue his work on behalf of St Jude’s Children Research Hospital and Hospital Escuela in Luis’ honor.
What’s your fondest memory of Luis?
What’s a lesson you learned from Luis?
Share a story where Luis' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Luis you’ll never forget.
How did Luis make you smile?