A British mother died on the plane as she returned from Hong Kong with her family in early August, and her relatives had to spend the remaining eight hours on the flight next to her remains.
On August 5, Helen Rhodes flew from Hong Kong to return to the United Kingdom, after 15 years of absence. During the flight, she became unconscious and passed away.
Although deeply shaken by this tragedy, the family say they had time to say what they had to say to the deceased mother.
They had to wait for the plane to land in Frankfurt, Germany, before the body was finally removed from the plane. Her husband Simon and their two children Nathan and Emma then left her in Germany and returned to the UK.
A crowdfunding campaign was started by a friend of Helen Rhodes, Jayne Jeje. The latter describes Helen as a deeply kind woman. “She was always ready to lend a hand or advice. She liked to talk and made friends easily,” writes Ms Jeje.
An outstanding seamstress, Helen Rhodes had started her business designing bow ties and other accessories. Her professional journey took her to Hong Kong where she lived for nearly 15 years with her family.
After all this time, Helen, her husband and their children were returning home when she passed away.
“This is an unimaginable loss. Helen was a devoted wife and mother. She was the cement of her family,” says Jayne Jeje.
The crowdfunding campaign aims to help the family pay for Helen’s funeral and deal with their loss. More than 34,000 books, or approximately 53,000 Canadian dollars, have been raised so far.