Families Mourn Young Cuban Women Who Died in Las Vegas

Thaylien Brindis and Eliany Gómez, the two Cuban women who tragically passed away in March in Las Vegas, were laid to rest in their hometown of Santiago de Cuba this Wednesday. Family members shared the details of the funerals on Facebook, concluding the services on May 29 in the eastern city.

Madelayne López Isaac, Thaylien's aunt, posted a heartfelt message on Facebook, accompanied by photos from the wake, where family and friends wore t-shirts bearing Thaylien's image.

"We finally gave a Christian burial yesterday, May 29, 2024, to our girl Thay Brindis in our hometown. Rest in peace, my dear, your Mumi, your Godmother, and all your loved ones will never forget you. Fly high, princess, may perpetual light shine upon you as it did during your life," wrote López.

The aunt praised her niece, who died at the young age of 29: "A Queen is going up there, the Queen of our lives, the Queen of my heart, a very cheerful, fun-loving, wonderful daughter, affectionate, loving, respectful, a true friend, confident, intelligent, a tremendous human being, sociable, generous, helpful, charismatic, kind, an excellent hairdresser, the best cook, elegant, vain, a good sister, an excellent niece and goddaughter, she had an indomitable character. My girl had everything to be happy, but she was also very envied for being unique and special."

"It is forbidden to forget you, Thaylien. All of us who truly knew and loved you will remember you joyfully every day of our lives," López continued, thanking those who supported the family during these tough times, including those who joined the farewell through video calls.

She also expressed gratitude to the thousands of people who, through their monetary contributions, made it possible to repatriate Thaylien's body to Cuba.

Jennifer Bergues, a friend of Eliany, reported on Tuesday that Eliany's body was being transported from Havana to Santiago, arriving that night. Bergues noted that Eliany would be mourned at the Calvario Funeral Home from that night through the early hours of Wednesday, with the burial likely taking place in the morning.

"A hug to heaven, Ely. Rest in peace," she said.

The bodies of the young women arrived in Havana last Saturday, two months after their deaths in the United States, but the Cuban authorities delayed the transport and delivery to their families, citing a fuel shortage.

The families criticized the obstacles in transporting the bodies, attributing them to the inefficiency and "lack of respect, empathy, sensitivity, ethics, and feelings" of the government officials, whom they called "corrupt."

Eliany and Thay died on March 24 in Las Vegas, where they both lived. According to reports shared on social media by family and friends, the young women suffered a fatal drug overdose after someone spiked their drinks at a bar. The results of the police investigation into the case are still unknown.

Thaylien had a young daughter in Cuba and lived in the Sueño neighborhood of the eastern city before emigrating to the U.S. in February this year. Her friend Eliany was the mother of an eight-year-old boy named Christopher and grew up in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood.

Following the tragic news, family and friends sought help through the GoFundMe platform to raise the necessary funds to repatriate their bodies and bury them in their homeland, according to the wishes of their respective families.