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El Ford Mustang azul que le regaló su padre a Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo ayudó a escoltar el ataúd marfil de la joven de 16 años a la Parroquia de San William el viernes por la mañana en el vecindario de Montclare del lado noroeste.
Docenas de dolientes se abrazaron mientras salían de la misa fúnebre privada en la fría y nublada mañana, mientras sonaban las campanas de la iglesia.
El padre Ryszard Gron, quien dio la homilía fúnebre, les dijo a los reporteros afuera de la iglesia que su comunidad tenía “suerte de acompañar a la familia de Ofelia”.
“Nuestra vida futura [siempre estará basada] en lo que hacemos aquí”, dijo Gron. “Ella será feliz ahora, y es feliz ahora en las manos de Dios”.
Pallbearers for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres carry her casket to the hearse after her funeral at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Mourners hug after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Pallbearers for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres carry her casket to the hearse after her funeral at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Mourners hug after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Mourners gather after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Ruben Torres Maldonado hugs family members and friends after the funeral for his 16-year-old daughter Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Mourners hug after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Reyna Torres, consul general of Mexico in Chicago, speaks to reporters after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Mourners gather after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Father Ryszard Gron speaks to reporters after the funeral for 16-year-old Ofelia Torres at St. William Catholic Church on the Northwest Side, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Ofelia, who successfully fought for her father’s release from federal immigration detainment, died last Friday after fighting metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, according to a news release.
| Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Ofelia falleció el 13 de febrero tras luchar contra un rabdomiosarcoma alveolar metastásico, una forma rara y agresiva de cáncer de tejidos blandos.
El año pasado, comenzó quimioterapia después de que el cáncer avanzara a la etapa 4. En octubre, un día después de ser dada de alta el fin de semana del Lurie Children’s Hospital para ver a familiares y amigos, su padre, Rubén Torres Maldonado, fue detenido por agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en Niles.
Los médicos dijeron que ella no podía continuar con el tratamiento “debido al estrés y la interrupción” causados por el arresto.
Ruben Torres Maldonado is shown with his two children and wife, Sandibell Hidalgo.
“Ofelia nos dejó con mucha luz, mucha fuerza”, dijo Reyna Torres, Cónsul General de México en Chicago, mientras también hablaba con los reporteros. “Nosotros en el consulado nos sentimos inspirados por su vida y continuaremos trabajando por nuestra comunidad, inspirados precisamente por la lucha que Ofelia [enfrentó] mientras estuvo aquí”.
La semana pasada, un juez de inmigración de Chicago permitió condicionalmente que el padre de Ofelia recibiera una “cancelación de remoción”, debido al impacto que su deportación tendría en sus hijos, que son ciudadanos estadounidenses.
La decisión le proporcionará un camino hacia la residencia permanente legal y eventualmente la ciudadanía estadounidense, según el comunicado de prensa.
“Ofelia fue heroica y valiente ante la detención de ICE y la amenaza de deportación de su padre”, dijo Kalman Resnick, el abogado que representa a Torres, en un comunicado emitido al día siguiente de su muerte. “Lamentamos el fallecimiento de Ofelia, y esperamos que ella sirva de modelo para todos nosotros sobre cómo ser valientes y luchar por lo que es correcto hasta nuestro último aliento”.
En octubre se creó una página de GoFundMe para Ofelia y ha recaudado más de $153,000 hasta la mañana del lunes.
Contribuyeron: Elleiana Green y Violet Miller
Traducido con una herramienta de inteligencia artificial (AI) y editado por La Voz Chicago
