A mother appeals for help to repatriate her dead son
The family of a Gambian man appealed for help to repatriate his body after his unexpected death in Malta.
Baba Camara, 32 years old, died on January 9 after being admitted to Mater Dei Hospital complaining of back pain.
Camara had traveled to Malta for work to help his family back home. He had been living in Malta for a year, working as a dishwasher and cleaner in a family restaurant in Valletta.
Nicole Debono, a member of the family that owns the restaurant, told Times of Malta that Camara was “always smiling and a nice person… he remained optimistic until the end”.
Her mother was particularly close to Camara, she added, describing how worried she was when he failed to show up for work and she couldn’t reach him by phone.
Adama Manneh traveled to Malta after her son was hospitalized but days later, Camara died.
After he died, I was left alone, broken, hopeless and sad and I had no money to take his body back to Africa
On the fundraising page, she describes her son’s death as her “worst nightmare [that] it had turned into reality.
“After he died, I was left alone, broken, hopeless and sad and I had no money to take his body back to Africa.”
In the weeks before his admission, Camara had also fallen off his bicycle and collapsed while walking.
It is not known if these incidents are related to the back pain he experienced before visiting Mater Dei, although a source close to the family confirmed that he had received treatment in the hospital’s oncology unit.
Debono helped Camara’s mother to create a campaign on the fundraising website gogetfunding.com, which aims to raise €6,000 before the end of the month.
As of Saturday morning, the page had attracted €3,468 in pledges, or 57 percent of the total needed.
Those interested in donating can do so here.
Independent journalism costs money. Times of Malta support for price of a coffee.
Support us