Diego Frazão Torquato, a boy born in Brazil in 1997. He was welcomed into the world in the slums of Parada de Lucas, an area riddled with crime and disease. At the age of four, he was admitted to the hospital with meningitis and pneumonia. These were so bad that he had difficulty remembering.
Diego wanted to learn how to play the violin since he was a child because he thought it would take him over the world. Evandro João Silva managed the Afroraggae orchestra, which aims to prevent young children from becoming victims of crime.
Unfortunately, Silva would be assassinated in downtown Rio. Diego, who was sick and frail at the time of Silva’s death, played the violin at his funeral to commemorate him, as seen above.
Unfortunately, Diego died shortly after this photograph was taken as a result of a heart collapse caused by an infection he contracted while having his appendix removed. Diego had luekimia when he died.
At Diego’s funeral, José Júnior says this of him:
“I think the legacy of Diego is hope, it is the willingness to change, to transform.”
Diego was only twelve years old. He is now known in his community as a symbol of hope, an encouragement to all who believe that no matter how awful things are in their lives, they should do everything they can to make things better and make tomorrow a better day.
