Mother of Las Cruces teen with terminal cancer asks community to attend drive by parade
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) —
A Las Cruces mother asked the community to attend her 12-year-old son Manny Lopez’s drive by parade on Saturday.
The parade began just before 3 p.m. where cars, ATV's and even Las Cruces and Dona Ana law enforcement stopped by to visit Manny.
While some decorated their cars, other community members dropped off gifts, cards and balloons for Manny.
Diana Talamantes, Manny's mother thanks the community of Las Cruces for showing up and showing the family so much love during this difficult time.
Talamantes says her son has bone cancer and it’s terminal.
She doesn’t know how long he has left and wants the community to help make his final days special.
We were told back in February that there’s no hope for him anymore and his cancer had spread. I just felt that it was a great way for everyone to kind of say goodbye to him, while he was still alive. - Diana Talamantes, his mother said.
Talamantes said before her son’s cancer diagnosis in Nov. 2016, he was an outgoing, average kid.
“Anytime you were taking family pictures he was the kid in the back trying to photo bomb the pictures, he loved basketball, football and was very athletic,” Talamantes said.
Manny didn’t think cancer would take his life, his mother said since 2016, he had been in remission three times and relapsed four times.
His mother said over this last few weeks he has declined, but she’s hoping with the community's help, she can keep him in good spirits.
“I think it’ll be good for him to see that there are so many people out there that care,” Talamantes said.
The parade route will be as followed:
- People attending are asked to meet on Saturday, May. 8 at 2:30 in the Tombaugh Elementary parking lot, located at 226 Carver Road.
- At 3 p.m. the parade will head east on Carver Road. At the light, the plan is to turn left onto South Main, where they will then make a right onto Mimosa Lane. and another right onto Clover Drive. The house is the third one on the right, located at 355 Clover Drive.
The family has asked that anyone wanting to stop and give Manny a gift, to make the stop quick and not stop the flow of traffic.
The family wants to thank the community for their outpouring support during this difficult time.
This is footage of a previous drive-by for Manny in May.
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