SAN ANTONIO -- Ana Lucia Macias only lived to be 16-years-old, but even after death, she's making a difference. Today, a special section of Parman Branch Library called "Ana's Nook," was dedicated to the teen.
Ana died of bone cancer last year, but had been plagued with the disease since she was 10 months old. Her father, Eduardo Macias, said reading was a way for Ana to escape her medical condition.
"She used to always have a book with her," Eduardo said. "She could go anywhere. Even though physically she could not -- through her books -- she could go anywhere she wanted. There was no limitation to her passion. She could just travel anywhere she wanted."
Ana's love of reading was so profound, she even led a book drive for other sick children when she was nine-years-old. That drive collected 3,000 books for the children's section of University Hospital. However, Ana's passion didn't stop there.
"A year before dying, she started writing healing letters for us, for all the people that love her," Eduardo said. "Those letters talked about her fears, her passions, her love, and letters to her brother, Joseph. She continued writing those letters until Joseph was 1, because that's when she died."
The Macias family said those letters proved Ana'a fighting spirit.
"Even though she fought cancer for so many years, she was never defeated," Eduardo said. "Her body just couldn't keep going with the fighting, but her mind never did. She wanted to make sure that we were okay, that her family was okay."
Ana's Nook now features a tapestry, created by San Antonio artist Susie Monday. Donations also poured in all in honor of Ana. Those donations included new computer equipment, an early learning station, and furniture in the library's children's area.
Eduardo hopes others will fall in love with the hobby that got Ana through so much.
"We want other kids to come over here to experience her love for reading the way she did," Eduardo said. "Kids should just grab a book and learn from it. They should just use their imagination."
To follow the progress of Ana's Nook, her loved ones have made a Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/AnasNook.
Parman Branch Library at Stone Oak20735 Wilderness Oak
San Antonio, TX 78258
(210) 207 - 2703
