Awilda Vázquez is being mourned in Puerto Rico, where she was a symbol of the fight against cancer, a disease she defeated twice. Together with her husband, her daughter and her son-in-law, they tragically died in the Dominican Republic, amid the heavy rains that surprised that country, killing at least 25 people in total.

Awilda and her family traveled from their enchanting island to Dominican soil. They went to Punta Cana for a few days.

On Saturday, November 18, 2023, the fury of a tropical storm was felt in the Dominican Republic, bringing heavy rainfall “reaching 431 millimeters in certain areas in the south and south-west of the country and in Santo Domingo, representing the event of the highest rainfall in 24 hours in the country,” said President Luis Abinader, quoted in EFE.

In addition to the human losses due to that kind Flood, More than “17,855 people were evicted (879 of them transferred to shelters), 3,571 houses were affected, 45 towns were cut off and eight roads and six bridges were damaged (one of them collapsed),” the Spanish organization pointed out.

What happened to the cancer survivor?

In Santo Domingo, the capital, on the night of Saturday, November 18, “part of the side wall of an overpass at the intersection of Avenue de Febrero and Máximo Gómez 27 collapsed, falling on several vehicles traveling on the infrastructure. affected by the heavy rains that hit the country.”

That emergency caused nine deaths. Awilda, her family and a friend were riding in one of the cars.

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Awilda overcame ovarian cancer. In June this year, Vázquez had donated $5,200 to the Puerto Rico Cancer Hospital during a famous walk organized every year by communicator Raymond Arrieta in support of cancer patients, Diario Libre published.

“She was a woman of faith who loved life and fought (…) She loved her family, her children and grandchildren,” said a family spokesperson, as highlighted by Hoy.

That medium indicated that the other fatalities were of the family Ramón Martínez, Awilda’s husband; and the daughter and son-in-law of admired Puerto Rican, María Nereida Martínez and Michael Orozco Marín.

María Nereida was pregnant and celebrating her wedding anniversary with prosecutor Orozco

“This is not easy, four family members have left us”

In a voice choked with tears, Giordano Martínez said that what happened “is not easy… there were four members of our family that we will not see again.”

“What have we done as a family to deserve this,” Giordano wondered in bewilderment about the Univision program Primer Impacto.

That space showed how the tunnel walls could not withstand the force of the water and crushed several vehicles.

With Awilda’s family was Eduardo Cabrera, a Dominican urologist. He also passed away.

“The doctor picked up my family from the airport, they came to the city (Santo Domingo). No one could imagine something like this,” said Giordano Martínez.

Awilda and her family celebrated

The Martínez Vázquez family arrived in the Dominican Republic on vacation, Primer Impacto reported. They celebrated the 75th birthday of Ramón, Awilda’s husband. “He was the center of the party,” those close to him described.

Moreover, the family was waiting for the new member: the one who grew in María Nereida’s womb.

‘She didn’t know she was having a girl. We found out when we went to identify the bodies,” Giordano said. This man will remember Awilda for her faith.

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‘Awilda had such great faith, I think It was God who healed her. Medically speaking, there was no way,” he stated.

Giordano is heartbroken. Surprised. “I am not going to accept these four deaths… the day I accept them will be the day they are gone forever and I don’t want that to happen.”

(JO)