By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-27 05:41:39 | Updated at 2026-07-27 06:46:34
1 hour ago
A mother-of-four has died after she went on a mission to help orphaned children in Kenya and contracted salmonella.
Ayla Garcia, 36, traveled from her home in Richmond, Virginia to Nairobi with her mother, Patricia; her older sister, Tabitha; and her aunt and uncle on June 30 to support Zion Family – a children's home for orphaned boys and girls, WRIC reports.
During her trip with Richmond's Overflow Christian Church, she shared photos of her visiting some of the city's sites, meeting with locals and even getting up close and personal with some of the wildlife.
But by July 10, Garcia contracted salmonella – probably by consuming contaminated ice. She then wound up spending the day at the hotel trying to recover, but was admitted to a local hospital on July 11 at a local resident's insistence.
Garcia then wound up spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, as the infection escalated into a life-threatening condition.
The mother-of-four had sickle cell disease, which her family said made the infection more dangerous, spreading to her bloodstream and affecting her kidneys, liver and blood.
She then had to undergo at least four blood transfusions due to dangerously low hemoglobin levels, was put on dialysis and battled jaundice.
However, with their flights back home booked for July 15 and Garcia's mother, Patricia, desperately needing medication at home, her mother and sister returned to Virginia – while Garcia's aunt and uncle stayed back with her.
Ayla Garcia, 36, a mother-of-four, died after she contracted salmonella on a mission trip to Kenya with her family
Garcia had sickle cell disease, which made the infection more dangerous
The doctors at Aga Khan University Hospital had not cleared Garcia to return home on a commercial flight at that point, and required an emergency medical evacuation – which her family said would have cost more than $250,000.
At that point, Tabitha decided to start an online fundraiser, asking for donations to help return Garcia back home to her four children.
Meanwhile, Garcia posted a video of her own to Instagram on July 19, showing her sitting in a hospital bed as she tried to explain what had happened.
'Yes, I'm still in Kenya and I'm trying to make it home,' she said in the short video, apparently struggling to breathe.
Her condition then seemed to improve days later, with Garcia's family posting on the online fundraiser last Wednesday that she was 'progressing' in her recovery and was able to breathe on her own, but was still not cleared for discharge.
But at around 11pm on Thursday, Garcia's family said they were notified of her passing.
'It is with a heavy heart that we share our beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin, niece [and] friend Ayla has passed,' they posted in an update on the GoFundMe the next day.
'Her fight against sickle cell was hard fought,' they continued, before asking for donations to help them bring her remains home.
Prior to her hospitalization, Garcia shared photos of herself meeting with locals in Kenya
The fundraiser, which had raised over $32,700 as of early Monday, noted that Ayla had wished to be cremated, 'so we are doing that in Kenya and bringing her home via her aunt and uncle.
'We're also working on a memorial service so we can gather and send her to rest in peace.'
In the meantime, friends and family are remembering Garcia for the kind and faithful woman she was.
'She was a kindhearted person and she was so funny,' her mother, Patricia, told WRIC. 'She was just so happy-go-lucky. She liked helping people.'
On Instagram, Zion Njeri also remembered Garcia as 'more than a friend' and more like a 'sister' and 'one of the greatest blessings God placed in my life.'
'You stood by me musically, emotionally, physically and in so many other ways,' she noted in a heartbreaking tribute. 'Thank you for believing in me, encouraging me and reminding me to keep going even when things were hard.'
Njeri then went on to recount how Garcia would end each conversation by saying 'I love you' and how she fought the pain she suffered 'with incredible strength and faith.'
'Your faith never wavered and that's one of the many things I admired most about you,' she wrote. 'Your love for God was so genuine, so beautiful and so inspiring.'
'Even though my heart is broken and I struggle to understand, I choose to trust that you are now resting in perfect peace,' Njeri concluded, saying she finds 'comfort in knowing that Heaven has gained a beautiful angel.'
It is believed the mother-of-four contracted the virus after consuming contaminated ice
Ayla now leaves behind three sons and one daughter: 16-year-old Kelly, 15-year-old Kyle, seven-year-old Patrick III and four-year-old Priya.
For Tabitha, seeing those children struggle to understand what had happened to their mother has been the hardest part.
'They want to know why,' she told WRIC. '"Why isn't mommy here?" or "Where is mommy?"'
'Her plan, her goal was to come back home,' Tabitha noted.
