Funeral held for Alithia Ramirez, Uvalde girl who "dreamt of going to art school in Paris"
Mourners on Sunday remembered a girl who was an aspiring artist, whose joy at reaching the double-digit age of 10 charmed broken hearts around the world.
Alithia Ramirez was among the 19 children who, along with their two teachers, died on May 24 when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Alithia's funeral was Sunday afternoon at First Baptist Church. Funerals will continue into mid-June.
Alithia was a loving and caring girl who loved to draw.
Her obituary described her as smart and an "extremely loving young lady who dreamt of attending art school in Paris. She was very reliable, always wanted to take care of everyone, and was a role model to her siblings."
Alithia's parents met with President Joe Biden during his visit to Uvalde on May 29, KENS-TV reported. They said Mr. Biden asked if he could have one of her drawings to hang in the White House.
Ryan Ramirez said Mr. Biden told the parents, 'Whenever we hang it up, we are going to send you a picture of where it is hanging, and you are free to see it anytime."
Ryan Ramirez rushed to Robb Elementary when he heard about the shooting. He told KTRK-TV he simply wanted to find his daughter and take her home.
After her death, a photo was shown around the world of Alithia, smiling broadly as she wore a tie-dye T-shirt that read: "Out of single digits" and "I'm 10." Her birthday was April 28.
Her father later posted that same photo on Facebook with no words, but with Alithia wearing angel wings.
"This is a parent's nightmare. This is the worst of the worst," Ryan Ramirez told KENS-TV on Wednesday.
CBS DFW reported that a year before her death, Alithia Ramirez helped a couple get through the loss of their son Nico, who was her best friend.
"They were both very kind, very caring, loved art. That was the main reason why they became friends," said Fernanda Sedeno, Nico's mom. "When we broke the news that we were moving to Dallas, they were both very, very heartbroken."
Sedeno also had to break the news to Alithia last year that her best friend was struck and killed by a car in Grand Prairie. It was devastating, but Alithia became a surprising source of strength and comfort for Nico's family.
"I never imagined that this little girl would be mature enough to say, 'Hey, you know what, I want to keep in touch. I want to check in. I want to make you a painting and bring a smile to your face,'" recalled Sedeno.
The drawing Alithia sent to console Nico's parents shows him sketching her portrait in heaven while she draws his on earth.
"What blew my mind away is her being so young enough to comprehend we lost a child, to keep checking on us even after we lost him, to keep reaching out," Sedeno said