Kevin González, an 18 year-old from Chicago, died this Sunday May 10 in the Mexican state of Durango, after facing a agr esive colon cancer in terminal stage and to be reunited just one day before with his parents, Isidoro González Avilés and Norma Anabel Ramírez Amaya.

The case caused commotion in both countries due to the fight against time that the family undertook to reunite before the death of the young man.

And it's that Kevin's parents crossed into the U.S. illegally in mid-April, after they were denied a humanitarian visa, which they requested to travel to Chicago to say goodbye to their son.

Kevin's wish was to see his parents

Kevin had made public a simple but urgent request: he wanted to say goodbye to his parents.

The young man was going through the most critical phase of the disease. His physical condition worsened rapidly; he had difficulties speaking, eating and even staying awake, according to his family to Telemundo Chicago.

"My brother's days are numbered. The only thing I wanted was to have my parents with him," Jovany Ramírez declared at that time.

Kevin had been diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer last January. While he received medical care in Chicago, his parents remained still in Mexico due to immigration background that prevented them from legally returning to the United States, since they had been deported.

The family tried to legally enter the United States

After knowing that Kevin no was responding favorably to the treatment, the family looked for humanitarian permissions so that Isidoro González Avilés and Norma Anabel Ramírez Amaya could accompany him.

However, US authorities rejected the requests.

NBC Chicago reported that a Department of Homeland Security(DHS) spokesperson explained that the parents applied for B1/B2 tourist visas, which were denied due to a history of irregular stay and prior illegal entries into the country.

Despair led Isidoro and Norma to cross the border again without documents, but they were detained by Servic agents io Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 14 near Douglas, Arizona, and moved to an immigration center in Florence.

Kevin traveled to Mexico to wait for his parents

While his parents were detained, Kevin made a definitive decision: to leave Chicago and move to Durango to wait there for a possible reunion with his family.

His maternal grandmother's house became the place where the young spent his last days accompanied by close relatives.

According to Telemundo Chicago, doctors who were caring for Kevin sent letters to U.S. immigration authorities requesting the humanitarian release of the parents and recommending palliative care for the young man due to the irreversible advancement of the cancer.

The judge authorized the accelerated deportation

The case went to a federal court in Tucson, Arizona, where a judge had to determine whether Isidoro González would face charges for illegal re-entry into the United States.

During the hearing, Kevin's father requested through tears to be sent to Mexico to see his son before he died.

Fernando Sánchez, consul of Mexico in Tucson, declared that the judge was moved by the family situation and authorized an accelerated deportation.

Subsequently, consular authorities coordinated the transfer of the parents from Arizona to Mexico to concrete the reunion.

The last hug

After crossing Nogales, Sonora, Isidoro and Norma they traveled to Durango practically without rest.

On the afternoon of Saturday May 9 they finally arrived at the house where Kevin remained in poor health. “We are without sleep since Wednesday night. We haven't rested to go to the court”, said Isidoro González after reuniting with his son.

He also remembered the moment that impacted him during his detention: seeing Kevin on television asking to hug them again.

“It broke me. I fell on my knees crying,” he said.

Kevin González dies hours after reuniting with his parents

Hours after the reunion, Kevin suffered a strong health crisis. Relatives noted that his last words were “mom”.

Paramedics went to the home and confirmed the death of the young man on the morning of this Sunday May 10, Mother's Day.