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How ’90 Day Fiance’ Stars Kara and Guillermo Paid Tribute to His Brother at Their Wedding After His Death
Rest in peace. 90 Day Fiancé stars Kara Bass and Guillermo Rojer got married during the Sunday, July 24 episode of the hit TLC series. But their wedding was a bittersweet moment as their family was still mourning the death of Guillermo’s brother, José Joaquín. Keep scrolling below to learn more about their family’s heartbreaking loss.
How Did Guillermo’s Brother Die?
“Last night, Guillermo got a phone call from from his family saying that his brother José Joaquín was in the hospital with renal failure,” Kara, 29, said in her confessional during an episode that aired on June 26. “Back in the Dominican Republic, José Joaquín had to move in with his middle brother in a different city so that they could, like, kind of caretake for him.”
Renal failure, also referred to as acute kidney failure, happens when the kidneys “suddenly become unable to filter waste products from your blood,” according to MayoClinic. When the kidneys lose the ability to filter waste, the waste accumulates to dangerous levels in the blood. It develops rapidly and requires intensive treatment. Renal failure can be fatal, but it is possible for person in otherwise good health to recover.
“He’s been going through some dialysis for about a year prior to him being hospitalized and so I think last night, things really took a turn for the worse and that they didn’t think he was gonna make it,” the Virginia native added.
The most difficult part of going through a family emergency amid his 90-day visa is that since Guillermo, 23, was already in America, he could not legally leave the United States to visit his brother in the Dominican Republic without an “Advance Parole” document. If he traveled outside of the country during the 90 days leading up to his wedding with Kara without permission, he would risk having to reapply for the k-1 visa again since it only allows a one-time entry into the states.
“When I was little, I was actually super close with José Joaquín and we spent beautiful moments,” the Venezuela native said in his confessional as he choked back tears. “And if I could think how I would feel if my brother could die, it could definitely be one of the worst things.”
The next day, Guillermo and Kara received the heartbreaking news. “At around 4 a.m. this morning, Guillermo got a phone call saying that his brother passed away,” Kara told the cameras. “He was doing better when we heard from him yesterday, he was having coherent thoughts and speaking pretty clearly. We had talked about if this were to happen, what ifs and all these things but I don’t think any of us expected it to be so soon.”
How Did Kara and Guillermo Pay Tribute to His Brother?
The couple got the heartbreaking news just 35 days before their wedding, and while they could not postpone their nuptials to give Guillermo time to mourn the loss of his sibling, they found a way to pay tribute to José Joaquín — who was a big supporter of the couple’s relationship — by designating a seat for him in the front row during their wedding ceremony.
In Touch previously confirmed Kara and Guillermo got married on July 23, 2021, in Albemarle County, Virginia, according to court documents.
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