ORLANDO, Fla. — Inside the sanctuary of Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret in Orlando Thursday night, a crowd gathered for a vigil to mark the year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico.

Sashira Pena of Orlando sat in the pews. She's from Puerto Rico but has lived in Orlando the last few years. Her father and friends were in Puerto Rico when the hurricane devastated the island.

She shared images of the destruction with Spectrum News and said, "I remember my father go ill after the hurricane. He had a problem with his heart with all the situations that happened after the hurricane. He is a doctor in Puerto Rico, so he was concerned for his patients getting the prescriptions for them that wasn't available. No water. No food. No electricity."

Her pictures mirror the damage seen around the world after the storm claimed nearly the same amount of lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"A lot of damage to the houses. The roads,” Pena said.

She says the stress of it all really took a toll on her own father's health, which sent him to the hospital.

"… he got very overwhelmed about the situation," she explained.

Despite all the recovery and the rebuilding in Puerto Rico, Pena says the worry remains constant, especially during hurricane season.

"But it's very important that people don't forget, because we're an island, and we never know when we're going to get hit again,” she added.

One year later, there are positive signs for the U.S. territory that 3.3 million people call home.

Pena said, "I went to Puerto Rico twice this year so far. It's getting better, but there's still a lot to do. There are places that haven't been reached yet. There are places without electricity."

Pena and so many inside the church say Puerto Rico deserves the same help as any state in the U.S. would receive after a natural disaster.

"We need to rebuild. We need new alternatives. We need help,” she said.