A loving son from North Carolina has taken to the internet to express his concern over a distressing situation. His mother, a North Carolina woman, mysteriously passed away during a trip from North Carolina to Haiti. Despite Haiti’s historical reputation for being somewhat eerie, the trip initially seemed to proceed normally. She traveled to become well-versed in Vodou, but her death has led some online to question what exactly happened.

While the situation remains shrouded in mystery and suggests possible foul play, her son simply wants to know the truth. Here is what we know about the unfolding situation.

How Did A North Carolina Woman Mysteriously Pass?

A NC woman mysteriously passes in Haiti while visiting for a Vodou retreat.
pictured: North Carolina — Leslie Cross / Unsplash

USA Today reports that the North Carolina woman who mysteriously passed away was named Dana Jackson. She was extremely close to her son, Timothy Jackson. The 51-year-old had even shared her new interest in Haitian Vodou with him. Vodou is an African religion that originated in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey.

By the time she mentioned planning a trip to Haiti to become a Manbo priestess, she had been practicing healings, divinations, ceremonies, and more for about four years. Her interest in African traditional spiritual belief systems led her to plan a group trip to Haiti. The trip was intended for her to participate in Vodou rituals with other aspiring practitioners.

Jackson informed her son that she would be traveling from July 1 to July 26. She traveled with a group and stayed in touch with her son via WhatsApp. On July 13, she messaged Timothy that they would reconnect on July 21 and asked him to pray for her. The break in communication was expected, as part of the ritual was very sacred. However, Timothy did not hear from her at the scheduled date, and by July 22, he received the news that his mother had passed away.

“That whole entire week just kind of low key, (I was) having anxiety because I’m not able to hear from her, and I know that this is a very important part of the ceremony,” Jackson shared. “On the 21st, I didn’t hear anything from her. I did reach out to her at about 5 p.m. on WhatsApp. I didn’t get any response.”

The Aftermath Of The Loss

After learning of his mother’s death during her trip to Haiti, Timothy contacted the leaders of the group she traveled with. The information he received from them was inconsistent, leading him to suspect something sinister might have happened to his mother while abroad.

He received various explanations, including that she became ill during a ceremony, had a stroke, suffered seizures, had a heart attack, or forgot her medication. Jackson claims that, being as close as they were, he knew she was not on medication and was very health-conscious.

Jackson was expected to receive an update about the whereabouts of his mother’s body on August 16 but has not heard anything so far. The U.S. Embassy has not yet become involved.

Currently, Jackson is mourning his mother and seeks closure regarding her death. In the meantime, he has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for repatriating her body, conducting an autopsy, and covering funeral costs.

African spirits