Community Hero 2007
Kianna Santos Hernandez
Take one look at Kianna’s big, beaming smile and you’ll instantly see why this little girl, age four, so easily captures the hearts of everyone she meets. According to her family, she’s quite the entertainer, never missing an opportunity to dance and sing for an admiring audience. Kiki, as she’s often called, marvels at the beauty of butterflies and enjoys the musical sounds of hip-hop and rhythm and blues. She never seems to tire of dining on pizza (with extra cheese!), painting colorful pictures, or making new friends.
After suffering severe burns in early 2007, Kiki has endured extensive hospital stays and a series of painful skin grafts. Her remarkable resolve and strong determination to recover continually astonish those around her, including her sister Roxanna: “With our mother, Leonor, always by her side, Kiki is getter better by the day,” says Roxanna. “Our whole family often forgets that she is only four because she’s grown wise beyond her years. She’s incredible.”
Kianna happily lives by her own special mantra that “being different is okay.”
