Late last month, Rosmira Dalena Garcia Dominguez was riding her motorcycle to work when it collided with a truck attempting to turn at Prospect Road and Lemay Avenue.

When Fort Collins police and EMTs arrived to the early morning July 28 crash, Dominguez was unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. The crash was still under investigation as of Friday, according to police.

The tragedy of Dominguez's death would soon unfold into another. The 35-year-old single mother had come to the U.S. from Colombia less than a month before, seeking asylum with her 9-year-old daughter, Cora.

Later that day, Fort Collins Police Lt. Jerrod Kinsman heard of the crash and Cora's situation. She was suddenly alone, without her only parent and in an unfamiliar place 1,500 miles away from her extended family in Colombia. She had only been in Fort Collins for a few weeks and didn't speak English.

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"We're both parents and just picturing our kids going through that was just heart-wrenching," said Paulina Campis, Kinsman's partner.

After learning about Cora's situation, Campis contacted the caseworker assigned to the girls case. Her family wanted to take Cora in, Campis told her.

"Just knowing that I speak Spanish and we could provide a caring, loving home for however long she needed — it wasn’t even a question," Campis said. "We just knew it was the right thing to offer."

The following two weeks were a whirlwind marked by tremendous grief, slivers of joy and several governmental hurdles stretching from Northern Colorado to Colombia — where Campis and Kinsman ultimately returned Cora to her family last weekend.

Jerrod Kinsman and Paulina Campis with Cora in Colombia.

From strangers to foster parents

After Dominguez's motorcycle crash, Cora was picked up by child protective services and placed with Campis and Kinsman later that evening.

"That first night, she tried to blame herself for what happened," said Kinsman, adding that Cora believed her mom would still be alive if she hadn't come to Fort Collins looking for a better life for her daughter.

Campis put Cora to bed, but quickly realized how scared and lonely she was.

"She said it was the first night ever that she would sleep alone without her mom," Campis said.

That night, and every night for the next two weeks, Campis stayed with Cora until she fell asleep.

During her time with Campis, Kinsman and their kids, the family sought to give Cora a glimpse of their life.

"We try to fill our time with happiness and joy," Kinsman said. "The whole time she was here — except at night — you saw a 9-year-old girl being a 9-year-old girl."

After her mother's July 28 death, 9-year-old Cora lived with Fort Collins Police Lieutenant Jerrod Kinsman and his partner, Paulina Campis, for two weeks.

In the weeks after her mother's death, Campis said Cora was in constant touch with her family in Colombia. She had a phone and was always making video calls to her grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.

With a loving family waiting for her, Campis said the plan to get Cora back to them was set in motion.

Due to Cora's asylum status, Campis, Kinsman and Cora's caseworker had a two-week deadline to make it happen. Cora's family wasn't able to get the visas necessary to travel to the U.S., so Campis and Kinsman would accompany her home.

Cora's caseworker coordinated her return with the Colombian child protection system while Campis and Kinsman planned a local memorial service for Dominguez and tried to figure out how to get her body back to her family.

The couple set up an account at Fort Collins' Alpine Bank to cover the costs of sending Dominguez's body to Colombia. Ultimately, her family agreed to her being cremated instead and Allnutt Funeral Service donated their services, Kinsman said.

Donations made to Dominguez's fund will now go to Cora, Kinsman said, adding that several donations to the roughly $3,500 fund came from members of The Colombian Foundation in Colorado, who sprang into action when they heard of Dominguez's death. The fund was still accepting donations as of Friday. Anyone interested can contact Alpine Bank or Venmo a donation to @FBO_Cora.

On Aug. 10, members of the foundation — as well as Fort Collins community members — attended Dominguez's memorial service, which was held Aug. 10 at Timberline Church. The service was livestreamed so Dominguez's family could watch it in Colombia, Campis said.

The journey from Colorado to Colombia

With their deadline looming, things fell into place for Cora's return to Colombia at the last minute, Kinsman said.

Knowing that Cora's aunt was approved to take her once they got to Colombia, Campis, Kinsman and Cora's caseworker flew with her to Bucaramanga earlier this month.

While waiting in baggage claim at the airport, Cora got the first glimpse of her family, who were waiting with balloons and signs behind a set of sliding doors.

At her first chance, "she just ran to her aunt," Campis said. "It was such a big moment."

The family invited them back to their home in Girón, where they cooked a giant meal. There, Kinsman handed the urn of Dominguez's cremains to her mother. He'd been carefully guarding it in his backpack throughout the long journey.

"Delivering Cora was such a happy moment for them. They were crying happy tears," Campis said. "But this was the moment we were all dreading a little bit."

"They said, 'we can finally start grieving now,' " she added.

Paulina Campis and Jerrod Kinsman pose with Cora and her family after returning the girl to Colombia.

Campis said the couple experienced every emotion you can imagine when they left Cora with her family and headed back to Colorado Aug. 12.

They were happy she was home with her family again, but angry at the hand Cora was dealt.

"They were in Colombia and came to the U.S. and now she’s back home," Campis said. "It makes me so angry that she had to go through all of that and then go back in the end without her mom."

"It was later that we really processed that together," Kinsman added. "You can see the sacrifice that her mom was willing to make, and her mom worked so hard to get her into this country. She risked everything knowing this would be a better life for her and her daughter."

Cora's aunt is awaiting one final custody hearing in Colombia this fall. After that, the two plan on moving to Lima, Peru, where Cora will grow up.

Like she did in Fort Collins, Campis said Cora has been making a lot of video calls since she got home. Only now, they're to Campis and Kinsman.

"We know it’s a relationship we’re going to have probably forever," Campis said.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins couple steps in to help girl orphaned by motorcycle crash