April 2018 Aaliyah was diagnosed with lupus. Although the news was far less than welcomed, Aaliyah’s shining light of optimism never dimmed. Through it all, she stayed strong and fought as hard as she could along side her devoted mother and father, as well as her sisters. Not one to fall behind, Aaliyah’s strong will led her to still keep up with her school work and she ultimately graduated from middle school along with her class. But her fight wasn’t over yet. As she embarked into her freshman year at Cajon High School, she didn’t let lupus hold her down. Eager, and a bit nervous, she faced the day with great positivity and confidence. Her sophomore year would see her sister Andrea follow in her big sister’s footsteps at Cajon. Things were going well. Unfortunately, on October 19th, 2019 Aaliyah passed away peacefully in her sleep. Although she may not be was us, her fighting spirit will live on to inspire all that knew her. Her determination to achieve her goals, despite having lupus, was nothing less than amazing. Her memory will forever live on in the hearts of her family and friends. She was taken too soon, but she will never be forgotten.