HENDERSONVILLE — Immaculata School is planning to build a playground on the school grounds that will be named in honor of former student Malachi Siltzer.
Eight-year-old Malachi Siltzer passed away in 2016 from a brain tumor, but his teachers and fellow students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville smile at the memory of the rambunctious little guy bursting through the classroom door every morning with a huge grin, breathlessly proclaiming, “I’m here!”
None of the challenges Malachi experienced in his short life ever threatened his joy or his faith.
Barely a year after he was born in Ethiopia, his mother died, and he was adopted by Jay and Kelly Siltzer in Asheville. Just a few short years later, Kelly Siltzer lost her three-year battle with leukemia, and Malachi himself was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Through it all, Malachi’s love for life and God, and his plan to become a priest, never wavered. His gap-toothed smile and lilting laughter brightened everyone’s heart. At his memorial service, a 14-year-old boy who befriended Malachi shared a lunchtime conversation that affected him profoundly. Malachi suddenly looked up from his sandwich with a big smile and announced, “I am excited that I will see my mommy soon!”
Malachi’s family and friends want his memory to continue to inspire people forever.
Go online to www.tmcfunding.com/search/campaign/2237?layout=single to learn more about the playground equipment campaign and about Malachi. For details, contact Immaculata School at 828-693-3277.
— Julie Wojcik