Cancer Sufferer, 16, Gets His Wish, Becomes a U.S. Citizen

Gimel Aguinaga, a 16-year-old Nicaraguan queasy from chemotherapy, smiled weakly Tuesday as his dying wish to become an American citizen was fulfilled.

“It’s so amazing,” said Gimel, who suffers from a form of bone cancer known as Ewing’s sarcoma. “I don’t know how to explain the emotion I have inside.”

Gimel’s disease was diagnosed two years ago, and he learned that he didn’t have long to live. His request to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants wishes for terminally ill children, was a first for the group.

“He wanted this not just for himself, but for his family. That was special,” said Teri Andrepont, executive director of the Texas Gulf Coast Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Because Gimel was under 18, he could only become a citizen if his mother was naturalized. She quickly filed an application with the Immigration and Naturalization Service but faced up to a two-year wait.

After the foundation requested help, Sen. Phil Gramm’s office called the INS to point out the “humanitarian aspects” of the case, said Larry Neal, a spokesman for the Texas Republican. The INS made the application a priority.

But there was still another hurdle: His mother, Blanca Aurora Sunsin, a school custodian living legally in the United States for 13 years, barely spoke a word of English.

She feared she would not be able to pass the citizenship test.

Again the foundation stepped in, arranging for daily lessons.

Last week, Sunsin passed her exam and became a citizen. The wish became complete Tuesday, when Gimel and his 14-year-old sister, Blanca, also were sworn in.

“His dream came true,” said his mother. “He’s very happy, and sad at the same time for his condition.”