SAN ANTONIO – Jalene Salinas, the 4-year-old San Antonio girl who captured the hearts of tens of thousands of Facebook followers through her brave fight against brain cancer, passed away Sunday night.
Family members said Jalene died around 7:45 p.m. surrounded by family and friends in her South Side home.
"She beat cancer, she's free now, she's happy," said Jennifer Arriaga, Jalene's mom.
Diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer last year, Jalene endured brain surgery and several rounds of intense chemotherapy.
At a follow-up appointment in January, doctors discovered the tumors had grown back and there wasn't anything they could do stop them.
Even as her body grew weaker by they day, Arriaga said Jalene stayed positive, putting up a brave fight and always flashing her infectious smile even as she passed away.
"That was Jalene's personality. She wanted to give her whole heart to everyone," Arriaga said. "She didn't want nobody to be sad, she wanted everybody to be happy and I think that's where that smile comes in."
Arriaga began chronicling Jalene's journey through a Facebook page that was originally meant to keep close family and friends up to date on her condition. The page soon attracted nearly 40,000 followers from around the world, with complete strangers sending prayers and hoping for a miracle.
"Tons of people know her and she's touched so many lives, and I just want to thank not just our community, but the whole world for sticking by Jalene," Arriaga said.
The page not only kept people informed about Jalene's condition, it also brought people together as they pulled strings to help fulfill several of her final wishes that became known as Jalene's bucket list.
On Monday, the page was filled with thousands of condolence messages and prayers for her family.
Arriaga hopes Jalene's smile and her spirit will continue to serve as an inspiration to others.
"I believe she brought the whole community together, and I think everybody has shown each other love and that's all through Jalene," Arriaga said.
Funeral arrangements are still pending but family members plan to hold a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. Monday in front of the family's home in the 300 block of Bustillo Drive.