Memorial held for Dr. Ayo; A man who cared for thousands of critically ill infants

He was a doctor who saved thousands of infant lives and a dear friend to many borderland families.Dr. Luis Ayo died in May and Friday evening he was honored by his peers. Dr. Ayo was born in Bolivia. He came to the United States in 1975. He was doctor for 44 years and neonatal specialist for 35 of those years.Family, friends and former patients gathered to remember the man many consider a savior.”He helped me so much when I was in NICU,” said Victoria Trejo.Trejo had her little girl Ameia prematurely. Ameia weighed less than a pound when she was born and Dr. Ayo took her under his wings.”It was very scary … being my first baby,” Trejo said.But it was the time, patients and will that Dr. Ayo held that helped relieve many during hard times.”He was able to spell it out for you be truthful with you and really go out of his way to help you,” Jaime Escamilla.Escamilla’s son was also born premature and now a healthy curious boy. He tells ABC-7 he will never forget the doctor that saved his son’s life.”We’re so gateful to have the care and the love that he had for our son. We are just grateful to experience that,” Escamilla said.For some patients he became family.”We knew Dr. Ayo for four and a half years our daughter spent 11 months in the NICU so to us Dr. Ayo was grampa Ayo,” Edna Guerrero said.A grampa for some, a great friend to others and someone who will be remembered by many.”The time that we spent he made and impact not only on our family but in our son’s life and we are forever grateful,” Escamilla said. Dr. Ayo left behind a wife and 4 children.