An Oregon man has died after suffering a heart attack during a flight home with his wife, as the couple was celebrating her birthday in Bolivia.
Andres Castro, 39, of Clackamas, was identified as the victim, according to a GoFundMe organized by his younger sibling, Teo Ramirez.
The fundraiser was created to help bring Castro home after his sudden death on Monday, Aug. 25. Ramirez described the loss as “an unimaginable loss,” as the family navigates the complex process of retrieving his body from foreign authorities.
Castro and his wife, Suanny, were visiting her family in Bolivia for her birthday when tragedy struck on their return flight to the U.S.
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“On their flight back to the U.S., my brother suddenly stopped breathing. The plane made an emergency landing in Colombia, where we learned he had suffered a heart attack. Despite being rushed to the hospital, it was too late,” Ramirez said.
Castro leaves behind a son named AJ, siblings, and his parents, “who loved him deeply.”
“This is not a grief we ever imagined facing so soon,” Ramirez added.
Another sibling, Tiffany Castro, told KOIN 6 News, “We all miss him. We just can’t believe he’s gone.” She continued, “I feel broken, our whole family, it’s hard, trying to keep it together the best that we can.”
In the GoFundMe, Ramirez shared that their mother began experiencing heart failure in April, and the siblings had been her primary caregivers since. “We’re stretched thin and our focus is bringing my brother’s body back to Oregon,” he said.
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Tiffany also shared some cherished memories of her older brother, saying, “Every time we were together he was just so funny.”
For now, the family is focused on giving him a proper burial. “It’s a process with the embassy and my family,” Tiffany said. “We’re all just trying to work together to figure it out.”
According to the GoFundMe, preparing and transporting Andres’ body back to Oregon and holding a funeral can cost around $25,000.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 26, the family had raised just over $14,000. Ramirez asked those unable to donate to share the GoFundMe link, offer prayers, or both, “as we walk this difficult road.”
“We put our trust in God and know that He will provide a path forward. He always makes a way,” he said.
Tiffany added, “It’s just hard to believe that he’s not here. That’s all.”
