Heat stroke kills 6-year old Gurupreet, funeral in NY today

A six-year-old girl, Gurpreet Kaur from Punjab India, died of heat stroke near US-Mexico border while traveling with her family. And all her dreams to start a new life ended with her. The family was trying to infiltrate into the US from the southernmost border. Her mother S. Kaur, 27, and father A. Singh, 33, started living separate lives since 2013, six months after their daughter Gurupreet was born. She was permitted to travel by bus from Arizona to New York City. This is the first time that they came together after 2013. Both of them could not speak English.

The family want privacy during these hard times and have issued a statement through their attorney. The statement said, “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our daughter, Gurpreet Kaur. As we grieve, we please ask that you respect our privacy during this deeply painful time. We wanted a safer and better life for our daughter and we made the extremely difficult decision to seek asylum here in the United States.

We trust that every parent, regardless of origin, color or creed, will understand that no mother or father ever puts their child in harm’s way unless they are desperate. We will carry the burden of the loss of our beloved Gurupreet for a lifetime, but we will also continue to hold onto the hope that America remains a compassionate nation grounded in the immigrant ideals that make diversity this nation’s greatest strength."