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Make-A-Wish family struggling to fly back home to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Posted at 11:24 PM, Sep 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-22 23:24:50-04

A family is trying to get back home to Puerto Rico, but they unsure when that will happen.

They were flown to Seattle on a Make-A-Wish trip and they said now they are stuck in Tampa, waiting to fly back home.

Dewitt Feliciano, 16, said he was emotional this weekend because his dream came true; he met his favorite motocross rider and attended an event in Seattle thanks to Make-A-Wish Puerto Rico. 

Feliciano has spinal muscular atrophy. While he was excited his dream came true, it turned to sadness because he saw how Hurricane Maria destroyed his island. In Spanish, he told ABC Action News he cannot wait to be with the rest of his family. 

His grandfather, Lester Soto said they are from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. He said they have nothing to go back to because their town was destroyed. They know once they land in Puerto Rico, they have to go to a shelter. Their town is flooded. 

“I think it’s 100 percent better {we're} here. That’s the truth even though we got the whole family back over there and we worry about them, but we’re going to be part of the whole situation once we get back because the National Guard move(d) everyone from our town and they are all in a shelter in PR," Soto said.

Soto said Make-A-Wish is taking care of them. He said they are thankful the Ft. Lauderdale chapter is helping them with expenses while they are here. They said the Red Cross is helping them with medication that they need while they are in FL. 

“Once we got over here, they got in contact with us and said you already got a reservation in Tampa, you know, and we’re going to take care of you. Whatever you need, we’re going to do it for you," Soto said.

At this time, they are do not know when they will be able to travel back to Puerto Rico.