Eighteen-year-old Kevin González has only days left to live, but his final wish of seeing his parents one last time before he dies could be in jeopardy.
González, who was born in Chicago, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in January. The cancer quickly spread throughout his body and doctors informed him treatment was no longer an option.
He was told his time was limited as his health quickly deteriorated. Now, he has only days to live.
For months, his brother has been by his side, caring for him while the family searched for a way to reunite with their son. His parents tried to obtain humanitarian visas, but they were denied.
“They went to the bridge to beg, to plead with them, saying they weren’t criminals, they were just going to see their son,” his grandmother Virginia Maya said.
When they were refused, they decided to cross the border illegally. They were detained by immigration authorities and taken to a detention center in Arizona.
Letters from the University of Chicago Hospital confirm González is terminally ill and request compassion to allow his parents to be with him in his final moments.
Experts warn the immigration process may not be fast enough, however.
“It’s very difficult because the processes are very slow. So, really, if they want to leave voluntarily and sign their voluntary departure, the government can release them. The important thing here is to find out which authority will push for this to happen,” said Salvador Cícero, an immigration lawyer who is not involved in the case.
Speaking to Telemundo Chicago in an exclusive interview, González, who flew to Mexico in hopes of seeing his parents after their release, now sits bed-ridden at his grandmother’s house in Durango, Mexico.
“He can’t eat anymore, he doesn’t drink anything. Right now, he’s only getting the medications we brought from the United States,” Maya said.
“I ask that [immigration authorities] help me fulfill my last wish, if possible,” González said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Telemundo Chicago and NBC Chicago that it is trying to gather information on the case, but it remains unclear if González’s final wish will be granted in the time he has left.
