Photo: Go Fund Me
The funeral for a 17-year-oldFlorida hero who died after rescuing a mother and her young sonfrom rough waters in Miami has been postponed in order to ensure his recently deported father will be able to attend, according to aGoFundMepage.
While a vigil for Cristian Burgos will still take place on Sunday, his funeral and memorial have been pushed back so that his father can make it back to the U.S. from Nicaragua, said an update on the GoFundMe page, which is raising money for Burgos’ medical expenses.
“We want to make sure that Cristian’s dad is there with him for his last few moments, therefore we are pushing the funeral till further notice,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Please keep Cristian’s family in your prayers so that they may come together one last time.”
The page previously stated that Burgos’ family would need help paying medical bills, as “his mom is a single mom and his dad was recently deported to Nicaragua.”
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told ABC affiliateWPLGthat Florida lawmakers like Rep. Donna Shalala and Sen. Rick Scott have been lending a hand in getting Burgos’ father the humanitarian visa he needs.
A spokesperson for Shalala’s office confirms to PEOPLE that Carvalho reached out on Thursday, and that she and Scott’s office have helped arrange a future meeting between Burgos’ father and the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua. (Scott did not immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.)
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His mother was also given a plaque, and Carvalho announced a $20,000 scholarship in Burgos’ name that will go to students who demonstrate courage, determination, kindness, and selflessness, a spokeswoman for Carvalho tells PEOPLE.
“I don’t know of a better definition of a hero than that young man,” principal William Aristide told WPLG.
Burgos’ mother Maria Del Carmen Avenado previously issued a statement toCBS affiliate WFORremembering her son as the “best.”
“He’s the most beautiful person I have had,” she said. “He is a hero. I am happy and I am sad because I wish this had not happened to him.”
His girlfriend Mayte Padilla was equally praise-worthy, telling the outlet: “He’s an amazing person. What he did, I’m so proud of him.”
source: people.com
