November 10, 2001 – September 2, 2009
Chloe Rae Solis, or Chlobug, as we loved to call her, was born November 10, 2001.
As any parent knows, the birth of a child is the most precious gift we are given. Chloe was our little angel sent from up above.
Our journey began when Chloe was around 10 months old, and we noticed she wasn’t meeting her milestones. It was not until shortly after Chloe turned 3 years old that we were informed she suffered from this very rare disease called INAD, or Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy, a form of NBIA. During the seven years of Chloe's life, we were on a constant journey of physical, occupational, speech and developmental therapies, along with numerous medical appointments and procedures.
Being the parents of a special needs child brought a new perspective to our life. We were forced, but also welcomed into a very different world, filled with wonderful, thoughtful and compassionate families all struggling with “sick” children whom they loved more than life itself. It was a world we never thought we would be part of, but eventually became part of our identity and we grew to love this part of our life.
We were fortunate enough to be surrounded by wonderful therapists, teachers, aides, nurses, doctors and so many others who helped nurture Chloe along the way. We were also surrounded by countless family and friends who did their best to give Chloe the endless love that our precious little girl deserved.
Unfortunately, Chloe’s life with us ended on Sept. 2, 2009, just two months short of her 8th birthday. She passed away peacefully in her sleep after a hard, long struggle with INAD.
Taking pictures has been a passion since she was born, and therefore, we will always have a very special record of every moment of her life. At her funeral we hung hundreds of pictures of Chloe with family and friends through the years. Standing there looking at them helped us to realize that Chloe did more in her short life than most people do in a lifetime. Our family motto was to never let her disease hold us back from doing anything or going anywhere. We can say that up until the end, she lived life to the fullest, and we have no regrets.
She was our beautiful little angel with masses of beautiful brown hair and velvety soft skin. She will never be forgotten and will always remain in our hearts.
- Raul and Cara Solis, along with her brothers, Reme and Rogan
