Robyn Ashley Gutierrez

Robyn Ashley Gutierrez, age 14, of San Jose, CA passed away on January 10, 2017, falling asleep for the last time – after one last struggle for breath – suddenly, but in peace and surrounded by her loving family. After a 14 week long tug-of-war with her lungs, that were weakening faster and faster over the past couple years – her ability to recover from a short 5 day bout of pneumonia in early October, became her last fight. And what a fight she gave…every day, and always with a smile…a smile that would light up a room. Our sweet Robyn was born with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, 14 ½ years ago. Robyn walked delicately, and sometimes with a special walker, until just a month shy of turning four, and then used a power wheelchair for all that her legs wouldn’t let her do. As her family struggled with the loss of her ability to walk, she embraced her chair and the freedoms it gave her, openly and happily. She started her elementary schooling career, so excited to make new friends in the neighborhood – loving each and every person she met - welcoming them into her life with open arms…all friends but one. Kindergarten brought only one friend that was unwanted and unkind…Pneumonia. That initial meeting with pneumonia, caused simply by congestion from seasonal allergies – not by getting ill, introduced her to the first of many hospital stays, and home recoveries that became longer with each passing year…requiring her to always be ready with those fancy, fabulous shoes she always wore – to kick it’s butt anytime it came around! She fought with a style and grace that everyone admired…especially during these past 14 weeks…being stuck on her night-time BiPap machine/full face mask – 98% of the time, and then 24/7, not taking that mask off again – from December 26th until her passing. She fought peacefully – rarely complaining, even though she left the house only a handful of times between October 17th and December 26th – she still sat in her room or her corner of the living room, at her rolling tray – using her rose-gold iPhone 6, "instagraming" on her four fan pages, texting with her many bff’s, and watching her favorite movies. And of course - hanging out with her caregivers or friends that would come over to help her pass the time, and forget about the mask and straps that were hurting her poor little head, constantly, and the suck-i-ness at being stuck in her home for so many months. When she did get a brief reprieve though – it was most certainly made to be worth her while. During those 14 weeks, when she was able to escape that house without that dreaded mask – she got to hang out with her sister and best friends in the luxury penthouse suite at the SAP Center, to see Justin Bieber, Megan Trainor, Brittney Spears, The Back Street Boys, & Hailee Steinfeld all in concert together. She went to the Russian Nutcracker, drove through Vasona Park’s holiday lights, met and got kissed on the cheek by her two favorite actors live & in person – from the show “Supernatural”, one last trip to Branham High School to attend and give a speech at the Winter Wishes Rally they held – which not only granted her wish to gain 1000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, but also give her a chance to be on Live TV – NBC Bay Area Proud…and lastly, Christmas Eve at her dearest friends home, for a few hours. Magical times that in the back of her sweet mind…she sadly knew might be her last. She fought long and hard, with a style and grace that we all admired. Some might say that Robyn lived a short 14 years…but anyone who knew her, knew she lived a FULL 14 years. She experienced and conquered many things in her lifetime…Dance Class, Kenpo Karate, Softball, she followed in her sisters footsteps and sang in the Choir at our church, Holy Spirit, she spent 7 years on stage singing and dancing her little heart out in Broadway Jr. Musical Productions with Angels on Stage, Dartmouth Middle School and the last with the Tabard Theater. She went to Concerts, Musicals, Ballets, Sharks Games, Sang God Bless America solo at the SJ Giants game during Disability Awareness night. She danced her way into countless hearts at her home-away-from home Kaiser PICU - where so many beautiful souls cared for and loved her. She went to summer camps at the Youth Science Institute. She went to the MDA sleepaway Camp two summers for a week, Went on a magical Make-a-Wish trip to Florida staying at a fully accessible and wondrous Resort called Give the Kids the World Village – and got to swim with a famous dolphin, who played Sandy in Jaws 3, at Discovery Cove during that trip. 3 trips to Hollywood – her favorite place to be! And of course, in addition to famous animals – our star-struck girl had the amazing good fortune to be able to meet many famous singers and actors from TV…Sharkey the Mascot for the Sharks Hockey team; Sam Van Zandt and Lissa Kreisler of KBAY radio, Zack Stewart, model and actor, turned friend; 3 of the 4 actresses who are also in Wheelchairs, from the reality show Push Girls; Miley Cyrus; Mario Lopez; 6 actors from the Walking Dead – who played the roles of Carl, Hershel, Tyrese, Andrea, Glen, and Beth; Rosana Pansino from Nerdy Nummies on YouTube; 10 actors from the show the Vampires Diaries, who played Damon, Stefan, Jo, Oliver, Adrian, Marcel, Matt, Lucian, Enzo and Luke, all with whom she and her sister got to spend an entire weekend with in Burbank; and then most recently, the two brothers from Supernatural, who portrayed Dean and Sam. She also got to privately visit inside the famous bakery “Charm City West” on Melrose Avenue, that she watched every week in Duff Goldman’s show, Cake Masters – meeting many of the decorators too. Meeting each of these people made a huge impact on her – because she knew from an early age what she wanted to be when she “grew up”…and stuck with that till the end. She graduated from wanting to be a Mermaid, Mermaid Teacher and Mermaid Dentist, at ages 1 through 4, to wanting to be a singer and actress, and then at age 7 – decided that in addition to singing and acting – she also wanted to write screenplays, direct movies, and also do the editing of the movies/shows too. She could be found writing scripts and coercing her sister, friends and even her Grammie P – into acting in them, helping make them a reality, and something that we all now have to watch and keep her memory alive with, on her YouTube channel – which can be found under her mom’s name - “aaricaj”. She’s most famous for the 3 episodes they got finished, of Aunt Estelle’s Adventures, and the most recent – “Somethings Fishy”, that sadly, they only got the first of 8 episodes she’d written, filmed and edited for the screen. Robyn was very bright, and loved School. Even when she couldn’t be there as much as she wanted, when she was – she worked hard and kept her grades up – all A’s through all 3 years of middle school – and four A’s and a B, in her first and only semester as a freshman. It was no easy feat, but she held herself to high standards, and always wanted to please. As a friend – there are no words to fully describe what the definition of “friend” meant to Robyn. She saw much more in the meaning of friendship, than anyone would find in any dictionary out there. She was honest, genuine, faithful, compassionate, loving, giving and fiercely loyal to everyone who knew her. Despite all of her challenges, she tried to help others through theirs, and was always there for anyone who reached out to her. She kept her suffering and pain to herself most times – and even when asked, would rarely share exactly what it was she was feeling or suffering through, at the hands of Muscular Dystrophy and what it was doing to her little body – even after 12 surgeries over the years, to help fix things and make her more comfortable. In life, Robyn was in every way, the very image of the Angel she is now, after passing – and we have no doubt that she’s up in Heaven teaching all that have passed before her, a thing or two about technology today – and how to streamline things up there, making things much easier, fancier and more “Sparkling” than they ever were before. Lastly, in memory of the way Robyn lived, selflessly, every day - caring and giving to others, we chose to donate her Corneas. By making this beautiful donation, she was able to give the gift of sight to two fellow human beings. We will forever be connected to these people, regardless of whether we every meet them. Just knowing they have Robyn's gift to help brighten their world - will be an additional reminder that her spirit lives on forever, and perhaps through their sight - with her Corneas - she will get to see the sights of many parts of the world, that she might have never seen or experienced, because of the limitations of her Wheelchair and body's challenges. Robyn is survived by her Mother Aarica, her Father Oscar, her loving Sister Danielle, her Grandparents Patricia and Allan, her Grandparents Oscar and Sylvia, her Grandmother Lori – and her Aunts and Uncles and so many sweet cousins and friends, that it’s far too many to list…but they most certainly know who they are, and how very much they meant to her. We all, always knew, how very much we meant to her, and she will be missed terribly, each and every moment, of each and every day. She left a true legacy here on Earth, and made a wonderful impact on so very many lives…and will live on in thousands upon thousands of hearts.