Mo Gaba.

His name will forever hold a special place in the heart of Baltimore. And he earned it. He was an angel on Earth with an incredibly infectious laugh and an uncommonly positive outlook on life, despite challenges that seemed cruel and unfair for a child who harbored such enthusiasm.

No one is more responsible for bringing Mo’s story to the forefront of our collective consciousness than 105.7 The Fan’s Jeremy Conn. The bond that the two shared was remarkable. It was genuine. It was love in its purest form.

From his earliest days, Mo was dealt a brutal hand. A brain tumor cost him his vision when he was just a few months old. He battled cancer of the lungs and brain. He was in and out of hospitals often. Medicated frequently to subside pain. Yet he never lost his insatiable zest for life, sparked by an optimism that belied his suffering.

Sonsy Gaba is Mo’s spiritual soulmate. She’s extraordinary, just like her son. When you look into her loving eyes they are like portals to an amazing soul. Her love is as uncommon as Mo’s unparalleled vibrancy. Her gift to the world was Mo and Mo was a gift to us all.

How can anyone not marvel at a 14-year-old boy, whose physical development was that of an 8-year-old, a body ravaged by cancer and blind for nearly all of his life? For Mo, every day was a gift! He couldn’t see, yet his outlook on the joy of living was 20/20.

Last week, I checked in with Jeremy to see how Mo was doing. I knew that the prognosis was not good. Jeremy told me that Mo apologized to Sonsy because he was dying.

Let that sink in…

Mo Gaba will never be forgotten. He inspired us all to be the decent, caring, happy people we’re all capable of being. Even though he never saw it, Mo set that bar. He set it high. Now it’s up to those Mo left behind to reach for it.

No more darkness Mo. No more pain. No more medicine. No more hospital visits. Only light and love in the arms of your Maker.

Heaven just acquired the brightest of angels.

Forever a Raven.

We love you, Mo. 💜 pic.twitter.com/iQisDcoaIc

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 29, 2020