Faces of Blue: Sal Orchoa

When Sal Orchoa began at California Lutheran University as a freshman, the world was upended by COVID-19. Because of this, Sal and Timothy (Tim) Thompson forged a strong bond as teammates and workout partners. They sat together in every team meeting, shared countless moments of laughter, and pushed each other to be the best version of themselves. While talking with Tim, he smiles and describes Sal as, “350 pounds of straight love.”

One of Tim’s favorite memories of Sal is when Sal had to spend the night in Tim’s dorm, as they had worked out late and Sal didn’t want to drive all the way back home (to LA). Tim had an early class but received a text from his roommate that Sal was sleeping on a pile of clothes on the floor. When Tim asked Sal why he didn’t sleep on the couch, Sal responded that he hadn’t asked if it was okay first and didn’t want to impose. “That was the kind of guy he was,” says Tim, “He was the sweetest dude ever– A gentle giant.” It was small moments like this—simple, genuine, and full of heart—that defined Sal’s life.

But junior year brought an unimaginable challenge. At 19, Sal went to see a doctor about some back pain that he’d been having, and it turned out to be colon cancer. However, the doctors seemed optimistic that they caught it fast. Sal underwent treatment and remained optimistic. Everything looked good, Sal got to ring the bell to signify that he had beaten cancer, and he even proposed to his girlfriend. He was excited to bounce back and move forward with his life.

However, the cancer returned– this time a lot worse. Sal remained hopeful, but it had spread to his blood and lungs. “It all went faster than we expected,” recalls Tim. The team had planned on getting together to visit Sal in the hospital the following week, but were told to come sooner. Tim visited Sal as he was on life support, they prayed and cracked jokes together– trying to bring light to an unbearable situation.

“Sal was the sweetest dude ever,” Tim says. “Just a total nerd, but the kindest, most genuine person you’d ever meet.” In the wake of Sal’s passing in April 2024 at age 22, Tim found solace in calling up some of his old friends to meet up, share some food, and “have a moment to embrace and be together again.” 

Colon cancer is on the rise in young people, especially young men, and while we aren’t sure exactly why– we want to thank Tim for helping us spread awareness by telling Sal’s story. Sal Orchoa’s legacy is one of love, compassion, joy, and unwavering kindness– and Tim continues this legacy by using his platform to bring awareness to Sal’s battle with colon cancer. Though Sal’s journey ended far too soon, the impact he made on those around him will never fade.