A 39-year-old man from Oregon, Andres Castro, tragically died from a heart attack while returning to the U.S. from a birthday celebration in South America. Castro was accompanied by his wife on the flight when he suddenly stopped breathing, leading to an emergency landing in Colombia. Despite the swift action of emergency crews who rushed him to a hospital, Castro was declared dead on arrival.
The sudden death of Castro has left his wife, Suanny, their son AJ, and his parents and siblings in profound grief. His brother, Teo Ramirez, expressed the family’s shock and sorrow on a GoFundMe page created to assist with the costs of bringing Castro’s body back to the U.S. Ramirez wrote about the unexpected grief the family is grappling with.
The family had been in Bolivia, celebrating their birthdays and visiting Suanny’s family. Castro’s sister, Tiffany Castro, shared her family’s struggle to cope with the sudden loss in an interview with KOIN. She expressed her disbelief at her brother’s passing and the difficulty the family is facing in trying to stay strong.
Tiffany also revealed that despite a ten-year age gap, she had never felt closer to her brother. The family is now confronted with the challenging task of repatriating Castro’s body back to Oregon for a funeral. The estimated cost for Colombian officials to prepare and transport Castro back to the U.S. is approximately $25,000.
The family is liaising with the embassy and has sought assistance from Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to aid the family, who are already under financial strain as primary caregivers for their mother, who has been suffering from heart failure since April.
Ramirez expressed the family’s faith and gratitude in his GoFundMe post. He wrote about their trust in God and their belief that He will provide a way forward. As of Wednesday night, the fundraiser had collected nearly $14,800 of the $25,000 goal. Wyden’s office is reportedly collaborating with the family and the U.S. embassy in Colombia to ensure a proper funeral for Castro.