An Chicago teen battling terminal cancer has died, just one day after being reunited with his parents following their release from U.S. immigration custody.
Kevin Gonzalez’s aunt and brother confirmed his death to NBC Chicago/Telemundo Chicago late Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this week, NBC Chicago reported an immigration judge had ordered the expedited release of Gonzalez’s parents so they could reunite with him in Mexico.
Kevin, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen, was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year. The cancer later spread to his stomach and lungs, and doctors said treatment was no longer viable. Following his diagnosis, Kevin’s parents had attempted to cross the border, but they were taken into custody by ICE agents in Arizona.
This week, Kevin had issued a public plea for his parents to be released from custody so they could travel to Mexico to be by his side as he battles the terminal illness, and on Saturday they were reunited in an emotional moment in Durango.
As Kevin was reunited with his parents, he embraced his mother in a hug that resembled the finish line.
It was the culmination of months of prayer, a relentless effort and a community’s push to bring the family back together.
Through it all, Kevin never gave up. He held on to his final wish.
“I knelt on his feet, I told him I was sorry if I ever disappointed him as a father and that I loved him,†Kevin’s father said, translated from Spanish.
For the first time in a long while, Kevin woke up to his parents touch and care on Sunday. On his final day, the three were together again as a family. The 18-year-old spent his final moments surrounded by his family and friends, knowing his story touched millions who were all rooting for him to get what he had longed for.
After weeks of anguish and an immigration process that moved thousands, Kevin González finally fulfills his last wish: to embrace his parents.
The Mexican consulate and multiple lawmakers advocated for the family’s reunion. A federal judge was moved by the father’s plea, granting the parents’ release, which allowed them to make the trip.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin’s mother attempted to re-enter the U.S. on two separate occasions before being caught. The most recent attempt was earlier this year, along with Kevin’s father.
Authorities said they applied for humanitarian parole but were denied. A DHS spokesperson told NBC Chicago they applied for B1/B2 visas, which were denied due to their previous unlawful presence and entries.
