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News Topical, Digital Desk : A 16-year-old girl from Chicago, USA, has died after battling cancer. Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo died on Friday, February 13, after battling a rare form of cancer.
The family said in a statement that Ophelia died from alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, and her funeral arrangements were private. The teenager was diagnosed with an aggressive form of soft tissue cancer in December 2024 and was receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The daughter was fighting for her father's release.
Ofelia has long been campaigning for the release of her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, who was detained by immigration officials in a deportation case.
Ruben Torres Maldonado's lawyer described the decision by an immigration judge in Chicago three days before Ofelia's death.
The judge ruled that their father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was entitled to conditional cancellation of removal because his deportation would cause hardship to his children, who were born in the United States and are US citizens.
The decision paves the way for Torres Maldonado to become a legal permanent resident and eventually a US citizen, the lawyer said in a statement.
Ophelia was courageous and brave.
Torres Maldonado's attorney, Kalman Resnick, said, "Ophelia was brave and courageous despite being detained by ICE and her father's threat of deportation. We are saddened by Ofelia's passing."
The lawyer further said, 'We hope that she will become an example for all of us on how to be courageous and fight for the right thing till our last breath.'
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