Salinas good Samaritan passes away
UPDATE 12/21/16 6:07 PM:
A Salinas good Samaritan has lost his battle with cancer. A family member confirmed Victor Worden passed away Wednesday afternoon.
Worden came to the public’s attention last September when he responded to a social media post and helped locate a stolen car with a 22-month old baby inside in Salinas. Laura Mendez, a friend of the family and administrator of a popular Salinas crime and news page posted a comment on Facebook: “It is with great sadness to post that this Hero Victor Worden has lost his battle today . May his family find peace and comfort in knowing that Victor has gained his Angel wings. I will never forget the Good that he did, how his actions showed me to look at life differently, for his actions made me a better person. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.”
We will update with funeral arrangements for Worden as soon as possible.
ORIGINAL STORY: A community outpouring is underway for a Salinas man battling cancer, who helped rescue a boy during an Amber Alert last August. Victor Worden’s daughters made the announcement Wednesday on an online fundraising page.
Worden was honored in September by the Salinas City Council after he responded to a social media post about a stolen car with a missing 22-month-old boy inside. Worden searched his neighborhood and found the boy sleeping inside the car, parked behind a Rite Aid store on Williams Road.
According to a GoFundMe page posted by his daughters, Worden was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May of 2015. He later had a softball-sized tumor removed and has endured several other medical procedures since then. The post said chemotherapy treatments are no longer effective and the family will pursue alternative forms of therapy and medicine.
The family is seeking donations to assist with Worden’s medical expenses.
Since starting the page on Wednesday, 80 people have made donations, bringing them closer to their $5,000 goal.
We spoke to the Worden family on Thursday.
“Obviously on this day, we’re so thankful for his life, we’re so thankful he’s here every single day. We’re also thankful for the people who have helped us along the way,” Natalie Worden, Victor’s daughter said.
Worden said he wasn’t surprised of the outpouring because Salinas is a great community, adding he’s proudest of his daughters.
“My daughters have done so much for me and have stepped up so much,” Worden said. “Especially after hearing the news that they hear, you know, not once but twice, ‘Get your affairs in order, this may be the last few months of your life.'”
He said he will not give up his fight against cancer.
To view the GoFundMe page, click here.
