Santa Paula, California – Rosa Erminia Montalvo tragically passed away on Monday morning after suffering an asthma attack while visiting her family in the United States. Rosa, originally from El Salvador, had plans to return home the following Monday. Unfortunately, her sudden illness prevented her from making it back.
According to the family, they called 911 when Rosa’s condition worsened, but after a 10-minute delay, they decided to take her to Santa Paula Hospital themselves. Despite their efforts, Rosa could not be resuscitated and passed away at 2:00 a.m.
Rosa’s family is now seeking financial assistance to send her body back to El Salvador so her other children can say their final goodbyes. Ana Arriaga, a close family friend, has organized a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of transporting Rosa back home.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Ana shared, “Dear community, I made this page to help my sister in Christ. Unfortunately, they lost their mother-in-law this Monday morning, and they need help to send her body back so her other children can say goodbye to her.”
The community has begun expressing their condolences and offering support online. Maria Castaneda Orozco commented, “Buenas tardes diles a sus familiares que vayan al consulado de México si es mexicana y si no es a su consulado y les digan lo que pasó y allí los ayudan.”
Ana Arriaga also quoted Proverbs 11:25 in her post, saying, “The generous will prosper, and whoever revives others will be revived.”
The family is hopeful for the community’s support during this difficult time to bring Rosa’s body home and allow her family in El Salvador to hold a proper farewell.