Sand castle memorial is destroyed in front of family paying tribute to Saylor Voris, a San Clemente teen who died of leukemia
SAN CLEMENTE — The large anchor constructed from sand took more than five hours to create — a sentimental memorial marking the solemn anniversary of the day San Clemente teen Saylor Voris died from leukemia, and a way for family and friends to remember the popular San Clemente High cheerleader.
It only took minutes for two children to stomp the sculpture beyond recognition, adding more pain to the already difficult day.
Before the sun set, as family and friends still trickled down to see the artwork created by friend and sand artist Jay Bellamy, the children destroyed the tribute as Voris’ brother and his girlfriend watched in disbelief.
“How do you destroy something so beautiful? Why? What does that get?” Saylor’s mom, Konnie Voris, asked. “It’s just wrong.”
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Remembering Saylor
Saylor had a wide smile — she was full of optimism even in the final days before leukemia took her life at age 17, on April 14, 2015.
She had battled for 19 months, maintaining a positive attitude and strong faith. Local firefighters shaved their heads in support, and the community came out to fundraisers held in her honor.
In a social media post before her death, she wrote: “It’s gonna get harder before it gets easier, but it will get better. You just got to make it through the hard stuff first.”
When word of her death spread, hundreds of people gathered around her home, where she lived with her mom, father John and younger brother Sam.
“I just don’t want people to forget her,” Konnie Voris said, remembering her daughter on Wednesday, April 24. “She was San Clemente’s hero.”
That’s why each year on Saylor’s birthday, and on the anniversary of her death, family and close friends hold a small gathering in her honor.
The first few years, they’d throw flowers from the San Clemente Pier. But Konnie Voris wanted to do something different — a bigger tribute, where friends and schoolmates, or maybe people who just had heard her daughter’s story, could come visit.
“I felt like I was making it too sad,” she said. “That’s when we came up with the sand sculpture, to take a moment to remember. I didn’t want it to be sad.”
They enlisted the help of Bellamy, known for his elaborate creations at Baby Beach in Dana Point and around San Clemente. Bellamy had become friends with Saylor in the years before her death, and was happy to help the family make a memorial.
“I met her at Relay for Life several years ago … before she got real sick,” he said. “I got to know her really well, an incredible spirit. She continued to smile, praying for others while she was at her worst.”
Last year, they created a memorial by the San Clemente Pier, but this year they wanted to place the tribute at Saylor’s favorite beach, Riviera, a quieter stretch on the south side of town.
“I love doing it. To be able to touch someone with the gift I’ve been given — it’s special to do that, especially for someone who is grieving,” Bellamy said.
No apology
Bellamy completed the massive anchor, with Saylor’s name inscribed across it, the morning of April 13. Konnie Voris set out a large, poster-size image of Saylor next to it, showing her healthy in her cheerleader outfit, and after she had lost her hair during chemo.
She stayed next to it through the day and returned April 14, the anniversary of Saylor’s death.
“While I was down there, people came down and were taking pictures,” she said. “I met a lot of people who followed Saylor’s story. They knew it was down there, they introduced themselves, saying what an inspiration Saylor was to everyone.”
Some parents cautioned their little ones to be careful near the sculpture, she said, to be careful not to step on it.
Konnie Voris had left the beach with the big poster image not long before her son came down with his girlfriend to have a quiet moment at the tribute. That’s when they saw the children stomping on it.
“You can’t imagine what it feels like to lose your child,” Voris said. “I knew it would get destroyed eventually, but it wasn’t two whole days. There were so many people who wanted to see it.”
When Sam and his girlfriend asked the parents why they were letting their children destroy it, they responded that the picture was taken down so they thought it was OK.
“It was so hurtful to see it, you could tell it wasn’t just a regular sandcastle,” said Voris, who noted she had set driftwood around it as a small barrier. “You could tell it was a memorial.”
She said there was no apology, no remorse from the family. And then, they continued to let their children stomp on it, even after they were told what it was for, she said.
“To see people jumping on it was heartbreaking,” Bellamy said. “They aren’t thinking about the people who wanted to enjoy it or the hard work that went into it. It was obviously a memorial … it’s total disrespect. The kids want to wreck things, but for the parents to watch them do it, it’s just awful.”
Saylor would have turned 21 last January. Her mom had hoped the memorial would bring joy to herself and others, “not add to the pain,” she said. “I’ve lost enough.”