SAN ANTONIO – A self-described “medalhead” and local mother is using her favorite Fiesta tradition to honor her late son’s memory, raising money and awareness for mental health nonprofits in San Antonio.
Gloria De Los Santos says she first became obsessed with Fiesta medals years ago, spending most of her time trading, buying, and selling them at medal markets around town.
Now, she’s using those medals to help honor her son’s legacy and fundraise for local nonprofits that provide mental health resources.
"I want people to know that there’s resources out there. I want them to know there’s help. I want them to know they’re not alone. So I decided to make my first medal in honor of my son, to keep my son’s memories going," she said.
De Los Santos lost her son, Eric, to suicide in 2022. She described him as a friendly person who would help anyone who needed it.
Since 2022, De Los Santos has designed and sold three medals with some of Eric’s favorite things: Snoopy and the Spurs and the number 988, the National Suicide Hotline.
"It makes me feel like I’m doing something, and it helps people just to give them a smile, and I know my son up in heaven is smiling down," De Los Santos said.
For the past two years, De Los Santos has donated the profits from selling her mental health medals to two local nonprofits: The Clarity Child Guidance Center and The Children’s Bereavement Center of Southwest Texas.
This year, she still plans to donate to another nonprofit after Fiesta has finished but wants to keep it a surprise. She expects this donation to be her biggest one yet.
"It’s very important because it’s not talked about often. It’s not out there where people know that there’s resources. People need to talk about it," De Los Santos said.
