The family of a woman found dead inside a walk-in freezer has spoken out.
Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez was discovered by a staff member at a Dollar Tree store in Miami on 14 December.
An investigation into the mum-of-two’s death continues, as the family reportedly has ‘a lot of questions’ one week later.
It is reported that no foul play is suspected in Sanchez’s death. A page set up to raise funds to support the doctor’s family describes her as a ‘devoted physician and beloved mother’ who ‘dedicated her life to medicine’.
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Originally from Nicaragua in Central America, the 32-year-old’s family hopes to ‘bring her home’, as she died while abroad, so they can give her a ‘proper funeral’.
The Miami Police Department previously said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that officers responded to reports of a dead woman inside the Dollar Tree store.
First responders there found her body inside the freezer.
According to NBC affiliate WTVJ, police added that Sanchez entered the shop without buying anything and then went to a restricted employee-only area. There, she is said to have gone into the freezer and stayed overnight before an employee found her the next morning.
Sanchez’s cousin, Daniela Cortez, told the New York Post that the family ‘has a lot of questions’, as she said: “We don’t know how this happened either...and we’re not getting any answers.”
On the GoFundMe page, set up to cover ‘the costs of repatriation, transportation, and funeral services in Nicaragua’, they thanked people for their prayers and kindness.
It explained how her work as an anaesthesiologist specialising in congenital heart disease ‘brought hope and healing to countless children and families’.
“Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the centre of her world. Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered,” the page continues.
“Dr. Helen Garay passed away following a tragic accident while abroad. Her family’s greatest wish is to bring her home to Nicaragua so she may receive a proper funeral and final resting place surrounded by loved ones.”
A Dollar Tree spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement: “We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones.
"We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time."
LADbible Group has contacted the Miami Police Department for comment.
Topics: US News
Jess Battison