My brother, Francisco Cuellar, was only 38 years old and had been facing many challenges in recent years. He was staying in a shelter in Pennsylvania because of financial difficulties, and his health had been declining due to diabetes and other complications. Despite everything, he remained close to our family, and just last night, he spoke with our mother and seemed to be in good spirits.

This morning, we received the devastating news that Francisco had passed away. The shelter staff found him after he suffered an epileptic seizure and a heart attack in the early hours. By the time the ambulance arrived, he was already gone. Our family is heartbroken and struggling to come to terms with this sudden loss.

We are now trying to bring Francisco back to Long Island so we can say our goodbyes and give him the funeral he deserves. The costs of repatriating his body and arranging a proper farewell are more than we can manage alone. We are reaching out to our community for help—any contribution, no matter how small, will help us honor Francisco’s memory and support our family during this incredibly difficult time.