U.S. Citizen Dies In Kenya During Church Mission
A woman from the United States died after becoming severely ill during a church mission trip to Kenya, leaving her family scrambling to find funds to pay an overdue hospital bill and transport her body home.
Ayla Garcia of Richmond, Virginia, travelled to Kenya on June 30 with her church and family to help an orphanage.
According to WWBT, Garcia contracted salmonella while in Kenya and was sent to a Nairobi hospital as her illness worsened.
Garcia, a mother of four, had sickle cell disease, which made her more susceptible to infection-related issues, according to her family.
Ayla Garcia, a Richmond woman who traveled to Kenya on a mission trip and was hospitalized after a serious medical emergency, has died. https://t.co/RdCBIEZv15— WTVR CBS 6 Richmond (@CBS6) July 25, 2026
In a GoFundMe appeal launched after her hospitalisation, the family said the infection spread to her kidneys, liver and bloodstream, triggering multiple organ complications.
The fundraiser said Garcia underwent at least four blood transfusions, was placed on dialysis and later developed jaundice as doctors fought to stabilise her condition.
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She remained hospitalised for nearly two weeks before succumbing to the illness, according to a statement shared by her family.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share that our beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin, niece and friend, Ayla, has passed. Her fight against sickle cell was hard-fought,” the family said.
Following her death, the family said the fundraiser would now be used to clear her outstanding medical bills and cover the cost of repatriating her body to the United States.
“The hospital requires full payment for medical services rendered for her body to be released to come home,” the family said.
“Our goal remains to bring her home where we can properly lay her to rest,” the statement added.
As of Friday, the fundraiser had set a target of $28,000 (about Ksh3.6 million) to help cover the medical expenses and the cost of returning Garcia’s body to the United States.
U.S. Citizen Dies In Kenya During Church Mission
