Paula Duran Dies, Colombian Mother Whose Cancer Battle Impacted Many
Tragically, 27-year-old Colombian mother-of-three Paula Duran has passed away after an arduous cancer battle. Her husband Sergio Vega confirmed her passing on Instagram, where he called her an “angel” and a “fighter.”
Duran and her husband moved from Colombia in search of a better life
Duran, Vega, and their two oldest children moved from Huila, Colombia to Concord, California during the pandemic. The couple hoped for a better life for their family, since Vega explained they sometimes had “no electricity or water” in their native country.
Shortly after the difficult move, they found out amazing news — Duran was pregnant with a third child, a boy Vega could “play soccer with.”
Duran’s pregnancy was normal up until the 34th week, when she developed symptoms like headaches and vomiting. At the hospital, doctors found that she had a cancerous brain tumor, and performed an emergency C-section. Juan José was born in “perfect” health, and doctors removed part of Duran’s brain tumor.
Doctors tragically diagnosed Duran with terminal cancer
However, things would soon become much more complicated. The medical team found that Duran’s cancer had spread to her stomach, and they diagnosed her with terminal cancer. As Vega explained on Instagram, doctors said his wife’s cancer was “incurable,” and gave her one month to live in hospice care.
At that point, the family went into action. Vega called on help from the U.S. government to grant their families humanitarian visas. That way, both Duran’s parents and Vega’s family could travel to the U.S. from Colombia, say goodbye to Paula, and help them along the way.
Miraculously, their request was approved, and Duran’s parents Gloria Camargo y Ever Durán arrived on U.S. soil on January 19. They were able to spend less than a week with their daughter before she died on January 24.
Duran leaves behind her three children: Luciana, 9, Julieta, 4, and the couple’s newborn Juan José.
Vega posted on Instagram a moving video talking about his wife’s passing, where he said she “chose him out of millions” to be the father of her children.
The grieving husband explained, “Now we have an angel that protects us from the sky. A fighter, a beautiful woman that God gave me.”
He said she died in his arms, and that he “hugged her until the last breath.” He also said it was time to keep fighting for their children.
Duran’s ashes will be taken to Huila, Colombia.
