Mother of 4 dies after salmonella on Kenya mission trip: 'She loved others genuinely'
Ayla Garcia, a Virginia mother of four, died after contracting salmonella during a church-supported mission trip to Kenya, according to her family. (Credit: Tabatha Garcia)
RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia mother of four, who traveled to Kenya on a church-supported mission trip to help orphaned children, has died after contracting salmonella, according to her family.
Dig deeper:
Ayla Garcia died on July 24 at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, her sister, Tabatha Garcia, told Fox Television Stations.
According to Tabatha, Ayla began feeling ill on July 9 while in Kenya.
Family members initially sought treatment at a local pharmacy, where she was given charcoal tablets for an upset stomach.
When her condition failed to improve over the following days, she was admitted to a hospital on July 12, where she later tested positive for salmonella.
Garcia's sister said the family believes contaminated ice may have been the source of the salmonella infection, although they have no way to confirm it.
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The backstory:
The trip had been planned for more than a year and was divided into two parts. During the first week, Garcia explored Kenya, visiting wildlife attractions including safaris, the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, the Giraffe Centre and Diani Beach in Mombasa.
The second week focused on humanitarian work with Zion Family, a home for orphaned boys and girls that Garcia's church has supported for the past four years.
According to her sister, the group traveled to provide clothing, shoes, food, toiletries, school supplies and other necessities for more than 20 children.
Garcia traveled to Kenya to help provide clothing, food, school supplies and other necessities to children at an orphanage supported by her church before she became ill, her family said. (Credit: Tabatha Garcia)
What they're saying:
"This was her first time to Africa," Tabatha Garcia told FOX Television Stations. "She was very excited and thrilled to be able to see another part of the world. Her first week there was filled with joy and awe of all that she had seen and experienced."
Garcia's family described her as a compassionate mental health professional who dedicated her career to helping people experiencing mental health crises.
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"Ayla was a kind, positive, creative, funny, hardworking and compassionate person," her sister said. "She loved others genuinely and gave the BEST hugs."
What is salmonella infection?
People with salmonella infection often suffer diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps after getting in contact with infected animals, their feces, or their environment or eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
She added that Garcia spent her career helping others access mental health services and daily support, making her family's experience especially difficult.
"The unfortunate aspect in this situation is that when she needed help in her most difficult situation, she was unable to get the help that she herself gave so many," Tabatha said.
Ayla Garcia poses with her mother, Patricia Garcia, and her three sisters in a family photo. Garcia's family said she is survived by her mother and sisters, along with her four children. (Credit: Tabatha Garcia)
The family also said repeated efforts to obtain assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, the U.S. State Department, local officials and medical providers were unsuccessful.
Garcia is survived by her four children: Kelly, 16; Kyle, 15; Patrick, 7; and Priya, 4. She is also survived by her mother, Patricia Garcia; father, Larry Lambert; and her sisters, J'lea Garcia, Tabatha Garcia and Maya Coles.
What you can do:
A GoFundMe campaign was created after the family faced mounting international medical expenses that were not covered by insurance.
According to her sister, the initial goal was to raise enough money to pay the hospital so Garcia could be released and flown back to the United States for treatment.
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After her death, the family learned the hospital also required payment before her remains could be released. Because Garcia wished to be cremated and the cost of returning her body to the United States was prohibitive, she was cremated in Kenya.
Garcia's aunt and uncle remained in Kenya to oversee the arrangements and coordinate with the family in the United States. Her cremated remains are expected to return home on July 31.
Donations raised through the fundraiser will help cover Garcia's medical expenses, cremation, memorial service, additional travel costs for relatives who remained in Kenya to support her, and provide ongoing assistance for her four children as they prepare to return to school.
The family plans to hold a Celebration of Life service in August.
The Source: Information in this story came from an interview with Ayla Garcia's sister, Tabatha Garcia, conducted by FOX Television Stations. This story was reported from Los Angeles.