PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) On Monday, Andres Castro and his wife were returning to their Oregon home from a trip to Bolivia to celebrate her birthday. But Andres never made it.

The 39-year-old died of a heart attack during the flight. The plane made an emergency landing in Colombia, where Andres remains.

Now, his family is pleading with the community and lawmakers for help to bring his body home.

“We all miss him. We just can’t believe he’s gone,” his sister, Tiffany Castro, told local affiliate KOIN. “I feel broken, our whole family, it’s hard, trying to keep it together the best that we can.”

Though there was a 10-year age difference between Tiffany and her brother, she said she’s never felt closer to him.

“Every time we were together, he was just so funny,” she said.

While navigating her grief, she’s also trying to figure out how to bring her brother’s body back home to Clackamas, a complicated process that could require the Castro family to pay $25,000. The family started a GoFundMe to help defray the costs.

“It’s a process with the embassy and my family,” she said. “We’re all just trying to work together to figure it out.”

Sen. Ron Wyden’s office confirmed to KOIN that they’re now helping the family navigate the international process in order to plan a funeral.

Andres Castro left behind his wife, their young son, his parents, and all his siblings.

“It’s just hard to believe that he’s not here,” she said. “That’s all.”