On December 1st—on the day we should have been celebrating his 45th birthday—we instead faced the heartbreaking shock and reality that he was gone. A son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, and a man who lived a life of quiet generosity.

I have never started a GoFundMe before. I was always too proud, and it always felt like “begging.” But today I am humbly asking for help on behalf of someone who never asked for anything for himself, and for a mother who wants her son returned home so she can lay him to rest on his own soil.

His Story

He was born into hardship. He started working at ten years old to support his family. He never finished school because he stepped into the role that an absent father left behind—protector, provider, and caretaker.

When he was 17, his father suddenly reappeared and brought him, along with two cousins, to the United States.

He came with hope—maybe for a relationship with his father, maybe for opportunity, maybe for a future where he could continue providing for his mother and sister back home.

But when he arrived, he was abandoned again—left alone in a new country with no language, no documents, and no support.

And yet he survived. He worked whatever jobs he could find. He sent money home every week. He stayed connected to his family in Mexico, never missing a call, never forgetting where he came from or who depended on him.

The Life He Built Here

I met him not long after he arrived, and he became part of my life and my family for more than 25 years—more time with us than with the family he had to leave behind. Even after our marriage ended, he remained part of the family that adopted him as their own.

He worked hard. He loved big. He was a kid at heart. He adored his nephews, and maintained the wish to have kids of his own. His dream was always to return home and see his family again someday.

The Struggles He Faced

The last year was incredibly difficult. He had medical issues that went untreated because of his undocumented status. He was turned away from facilities, unable to receive proper care, and he struggled in pain and in silence. Despite everything in his life, he always found small ways to give—his last $5, a borrowed tool to help a friend, a kind word to a stranger.

That was the kind of man he was.

He gave from empty pockets but from a full heart.

Why I Am Asking for Help

His family in Mexico received the devastating news of his death on his birthday. No mother should ever receive that call. And her only wish now is for her son to be brought home—so she can see him one last time and lay him to rest in the land where he was born.

Repatriating remains internationally is an enormous, complicated, and expensive process. The costs include paperwork, permits, embalming, consular requirements, air transportation, and final arrangements. It is far beyond what any of us here or his family in Mexico can afford alone.

How Funds Will Be Used

All donations will go directly toward:

Repatriation and transportation costs

Legal paperwork and documentation

Funeral home fees

Transport of remains to Mexico

Any remaining funds will go to his mother

A Final Request

If you are able to give, please know that every single dollar helps. And if you cannot donate, sharing this campaign is an act of kindness that means just as much.

He left this world with very little, but he left a legacy of kindness, generosity, and heart. If you ever met him, you know the type of spirit he had. And if you didn’t, I hope his story touches you enough to help us send him home.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and from his family’s.

Vaya con Dios.

May he finally find his way home.