Omar Ibarra

The Keiki Paddle 2014

Omar Ibarra is a 12 year old boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in June 2013. He is a student at Kellogg Elementary School but he has unable to attend for most of this past year due to his medical condition. He recently started school again since he is out of the most intense part of his treatment program. He lives with his two siblings, ages 7 and 1 and his parents in Goleta. He is very social, loves soccer, and loves to talk about almost everything.

A teacher at Kellogg School provided these comments:
“Omar is an outstanding young man. He shows by example that character counts. In everything he does, Omar is a respectful, responsible, caring, good citizen. He loves to participate in sports activities and is always a model of good sportsmanship. In the classroom, Omar is a dedicated, hardworking, determined student. He has fine academic abilities and knows how to apply his skills well overall. Omar does not seek the limelight nor does he draw attention to himself, but quietly works step by step to achieve his goals. He is an extremely respectful student who always looks for ways to be helpful in every situation. Omar is a loving and devoted son in his family, and a kind, loyal friend to his classmates.

Last summer Omar faced an unexpected, life-threatening illness with courage, dignity, and strength. Throughout his ordeal he seemed to care more about how others were holding up than he himself. Because of his positive attitude and loving family support, he is succeeding, just as he has done with every other challenge in his life.

”Omar Ibarra is an inspiration for all of us.”