Help Bring Ashleigh Home

Hello, my name is Charlene. I am reaching out and asking for help to raise funds to bring home Ashleigh from Taiwan and lay her to rest.

On the 18th November 2021 our dear friends Marvin and Julia received news that no parent should ever receive. Their daughter Ashleigh had passed away, she was just 22 years old. Ashleigh has always been a go getter. I have watched this funny, bright, witty little girl grow into a smart, determined, and brave young woman. If Ashleigh wanted to do something nothing would get in her way, she proved this when she graduated university during the pandemic and set her sights on teaching abroad. In September 2020 she set off to Taiwan to pursue her dream. Ashleigh worked in a primary school teaching English as a second language. She did this throughout the pandemic, in a foreign country so far from home. We are in awe of her resilience and courage at only 22. On the 18th November 2021 Ashleigh did not turn up for work. Information from the foreign office and Ashleigh’s colleagues have helped piece together what may have happened. On the 14th of November she had bumped her head and received medical treatment at a local hospital who carried out an CT scan and gave her the all clear, sending her home with medication to help with nausea. She had not gone to work on the 17th November suffering with a migraine but was due to be back in work the next day. She did not arrive to work on the 18th November, she was found later that morning in her apartment, she had sadly passed away.

An autopsy preliminary results show no obvious cause of death and can not confirm if the bang to the head was related. Marvin and Julia have spent the last 4 weeks working tirelessly with the foreign office and the Taiwan Embassy to try and bring Ashleigh home. Initially they were told it could take up to 2 months for the authorities to release Ashleigh’s body, having to wait for the final Autopsy report and were quoted over £13,000. In the last week they have been told this has now risen to £35,000. The rise in the cost has been explained as due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic there are fewer flights going in and out of the country and even less availability for the special cargo as the airlines in China especially need the cargo space for ordinary cargo which is more profitable and necessary for the national and international economy. The airlines have decided to sell all cargo space at a premium cost - a 200% markup of the normal IATA rate and at a minimum of 1000kg in weight, to put that in comparison 130kg in weight is what would normally be needed to repatriate a body, and this would be charged and at a much lower cost.Travel restrictions have taken away the option for Marvin and Julia to go out to Taiwan, their only option is to repatriate Ashleigh and follow the guidance of Taiwan authorities. They are undoubtedly being exploited due to their current situation, but their hands are completely tied. Marvin and Julia are a normal hard-working family like you and I. They have exhausted every option possible to raise the funds to bring Ashleigh home.

They wanted to bring Ashleigh home as soon as possible and had done everything in their power to raise the initial amount quoted to do this, but feel absolutely helpless with nowhere to turn with new costs and the rising daily charges. Today they have been told that they can now bring her home meaning they so desperately need help to raise these additional added costs as now for every day she remains in Taiwan a further cost of £40 per day will be added for Mortuary charges.

We are absolutely heartbroken for them and are unable to ease their pain.

I am reaching out to friends, relatives, and the kindness of strangers to help bring Ashleigh home. Anyone who knows them, knows how generous they are always praising and encouraging others, offering nothing but love and support, and wouldn’t think twice about putting themselves out to help those around them. As a mother I could not begin to imagine the nightmare they are living, never have I known them ask for help, they have nowhere left to turn, all they want is to bring their daughter home so they can lay her to rest.