CHESHIRE, Conn. — A dream is gone.
“It was just to help his family because they come from a very very poor family,” said Jefferson Loja’s uncle, Manuel.
“Todo tiene esos suenos pero lamentablemente esto paso.”
He had all of those dreams but unfortunately, this happened. 18-year-old Jefferson Loja was the oldest child in his family. He came to America in March to help them. But instead, his family is now trying to get him back to his home village in Ecuador to bury him. On Sunday, he died while swimming in Mixville Park Pond. His body was found the next day.
“It’s very hard for him and his family that everything got cut short. It took him almost three months to get to the country and he lives only three months and then that was it,” said Roja.
Their family is feeling the pain of grief and the burden of poverty.
“They come from a very very poor family in a village in Ecuador,” said Roja.
They took a $12,000 loan out against their home in Ecuador to get him here.
Now, they are working through the pain to get him home.
“His goal and all of the family is to bring Jefferson for the family to see him one last time,” said Roja.
If you would like to help their family, click here.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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