ENFIELD, CT — Friends of a wheelchair-bound homeless man who died tragically last week are trying to raise funds to have his body transported back to his family in Mexico.
Loreto Razon, 50, a double amputee, died after falling into Freshwater Pond just after noon on June 30. Rescue personnel pulled him from the water and performed CPR, but he was taken off life support at an area hospital Sunday, Thompsonville Fire Department Chief David Deskis said.
A family friend, Miranda Cadena, grew up near Razon in Cuquio, a town of about 17,000 residents in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. She and her family now live in Thompsonville, and she has organized a GoFundMe page to try and cover the expense of sending Razon’s body back to his native land. It is written in Spanish, but translates:
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“I am in the process of helping to return Loreto’s body to Mexico with his family. Unfortunately our beloved Loreto passed away on Sunday night and now we need to take him back to Mexico so his family can say goodbye to him and Loreto can rest in peace. Many have asked me how they can help and I thank them very much. It is not an easy process and somewhat expensive and that is why I made this page in case someone wants and can help. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and if anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much, we must help our dear friend Loreto rest in peace.”
Cadena, a recent graduate of the nursing program at Elms College, told Patch between the GoFundMe and private donations, she has almost raised enough to cover the necessary expenses. She said Razon “was loved by the Hispanic community.”
Raygan Dinsdale, who with her husband Kevin lives near the pond, became friends with Razon in the last few years, and wrote the following account:
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“When we moved into our house about three years ago, we weren’t thrilled to later discover that we had a large homeless population, and a lot of drugs in the area. One homeless man in particular, was a bit intimidating. All day and night, he could be heard screaming, “- – – – you!!” followed up with a more quietly executed “I love you.” Once, Kevin went to talk to him about the screaming, and found a homeless man, who was also a double amputee from the knee down, wheelchair bound, and spoke very little English. Kevin came home and told me he couldn’t get mad, because the man was so little and frail.
“Through the years, we have walked our dogs around the pond that sits directly across the street from our house. More and more, we began to interact with the man, and learned that he came here from Mexico, and though he had a major drinking addiction, he never once asked for a dime. Never once did he scream at us. We learned his name was Loreto, and we grew to genuinely care for this man.
“What was remarkable was that we discovered the intent of his screaming obscenities. Loreto just wanted to tell people he loved them. And when he got ignored or made fun of, he would scream the dreaded “- – – – you!” We learned that he always said “I love you” first. So, one day, while we were on our walk, Kevin and I saw him and said, ‘Hey Loreto, we love you, man.’ His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he smiled his toothless grin and said, ‘thank you, thank you. Oh, I love you too.’ And, suddenly, there was less screaming.
“On Friday, June 30, Loreto wheeled himself to the edge of the pond. Though he had prosthetics, he did not often use them. However, he pulled himself up out of the wheelchair, and instantly he lost balance and fell into the pond. When I saw the barrage of emergency services pull up in front of my house, I had no idea what was going on. I ran outside and watched and prayed, as his body was pulled from the pond.
“Loreto was dead for over an hour, but I watched them work on him without stopping. And, finally, they got a heartbeat. Kevin and I watched as our buddy was put into the ambulance and transported to ICU. I will never forget the feeling I had when we saw it was Loreto that had been pulled from the pond.
“Loreto didn’t make it. They took him off life support a few days ago. He had been gone for too long, and there was no brain activity anymore.
“Loreto was a good man, who looked as if he had led a very difficult life. But he was so full of love, and wanted to tell everyone he met, that he loved them. And Kevin and I did grow to love him, and we often did our best to provide food and beverages for him, when we could do so. He was always so grateful, but humble. He never asked for a dime to fuel his addiction. He never harassed or caused anyone any trouble. Loreto was a good man.
“I wanted to tell you about him, because, as far as a lot of the homeless population goes, they are often forgotten. Other than missing his screaming out love, and distaste for those who did not love him back, Loreto is just an afterthought to those who only read about the homeless man who drowned.
“I think about him every day, multiple times a day. I have been so shaken by this tragedy. I’ve been so angry – that no one jumped in to save him, and that he had to die in such an awfully scary way. But, Loreto taught me a lot about love; what it means to love someone when they are less than perfect. He showed me that, even in the depths of addiction, all he truly wanted was to be KNOWN.
“So, Loreto, my friend, this is for you. I know you are now at peace, and for you, the road of suffering no longer exists. We miss you here. It’s eerily quiet, and our walks just aren’t the same without your beautiful spirit to brighten our day. Rest easy, sweet man, and I hope your story becomes your legacy: a man who wanted to just love everyone he met, and how much that love shined through, beyond the addiction. Somehow, you made my world a better place, for having been a part of it. You will be missed, and Loreto…you are so very loved.”
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