SAN ANTONIO -- Alyssa Salazar always carried a smile on her face despite her three year battle with ovarian cancer. But that battle ended for Salazar on Tuesday. Hundreds showed up to raise money for the 25-year-old on Saturday.
During the plate sale at Crazy J's Sports Bar, her 4-year-old said to Eyewitness News reporter Roma Villavicencio, "I love you mommy."
Those are words Alyssa Salazar lived for.
Her mother Janie Rodriguez said, "It's actually been a good day. I feel her presence here today."
And maybe Salazar's daughter did too. More than 2,000 plates were sold at Crazy Js.
Rodriguez said,"It serves as a powerful message that my daughter left impacting so many people's lives."
Rodriguez said her daughter went through 16 surgeries and several chemo therapy treatments. A true fighter. We saw it first hand. KENS 5 interviewed Salazar in September for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month..here is some of what she said.
"I'm three years into this and I always say it could be worse."
She kept a positive attitude throughout the interview and made it clear, Aubrey, her four-year-old helped her through it.
"We can just be at home watching cartoons and she'll be like 'mommy hold my hand, or mommy I love you'... That within itself is what tells me if I feel sick im like 'ok get up.'"
Her best friend, Melanie Palitos told me Aubrey will be in good hands.
"Ally meant everything to me. She was there for me all the time. I told her Aubrey is going to be taken care of."
She meant a lot for so many and her mother said her legacy be instrumental for so many women.
"I knew that my daughter, she was chosen for a reason and that's to spread awareness."