A North Carolina woman dies after going on a Vodou retreat in Haiti

The son is kind of cute.

‘Something sinister happened’ In order to confirm his mother’s passing, Jackson reached out to one of the leaders of the group that went to Haiti with his mom. The first thing they asked him was, “how much did he know?”

“To be completely honest with you, my initial thought was my mom went down to Haiti, they did this last piece of the ceremony, and something sinister happened,” he said.

The person who spoke with him told him that his mom had gotten extremely sick during the ceremony. They told him that she kind of fainted. When she regained consciousness, she didn't know where she was. When a member of the house asked her where she was, she said in Virginia, Jackson said.

However, Jackson said his family hadn't lived in Virginia in over a year.

Jackson said they also told him that they brought her to the hospital. At the hospital, she started to have seizures, and they said she had a heart attack and a stroke.

“That was the initial story,” he said. “They said that my mom didn't bring her medicine. So there was a red flag, because what medicine are you guys talking about? it sounds like they were trying to perpetuate a story.”

Jackson also was supposed to get an update on where his mom’s body is located on Aug. 16 but that still hasn't happened.

“I haven't heard anything, he said. “I don't even think the U.S. Embassy got involved, or even received the necessary paperwork until about four days ago.”

USA TODAY reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, but they did not respond prior to publication.

[quote]Dana Jackson, 51, wanted to become a Manbo priestess.

Isn't Manbo the name of one of those fully body deodorants?

[quote] trip to Haiti in July 2024

I mean what could possibly go right with that idea? At least the voodoo camp got to eat well that night.

Lol R4.

Exactly.

What could possibly go wrong with traveling to Haiti to become a voodoo priestess?

The stupidity of some people is overwhelming.

They probably "discovered a demon" inside of her and took care of it.

And why did the son keep hanging up on family members trying to communicate to him about his mother? A mess.

R5 - particularly now when it's been taken over by gangs and they've never recovered since the earthquake.

People are getting kidnapped all the time. They are DESPERATE.

This is just so stupid - just because you're black, doesn't mean you won't be a target because you're AMERICAN.

VooDONT! It's awful - but it's hard to have sympathy for people who willingly and foolishly put themselves into harm's way.

"Hey son! I'm going off the grid for a week as part of some arcane top secret religious ceremony, with some people you don't know that takes place in a country the entire Western World has travel warnings against because its in a state of complete societal collapse with warlords owning various territories one of who is actually called BBQ because he eats his victims. Anyway toodles I'll bring back a souvenir from the airport."

If only she'd brought Deb Messing with her.

[quote] The son is kind of cute.

He's gay!

Do do that voodoo that you do so well.

[quote] And why did the son keep hanging up on family members trying to communicate to him about his mother? A mess.

Miss Thing is all about the DRAMA.

So, if voodoo is supposed to be vodou, how should we pronounce the word?

It’s astounding that anyone would deliberately fly into Haiti currently, for any reason.

Hopefully her organs as well as her cornea are all present & intact once she’s flown back into the states.

R13 just say voodoo. They think vodou sounds fancy and less witch crafty. I sometimes practice voodoo which I learned from my Creole Aunt. Sometimes it’s necessary for cunts who don’t wanna ackrite.

[quote] So, if voodoo is supposed to be vodou, how should we pronounce the word?

Le French call it VOHDOO.

Or in the Isle of Man, it's pronounced VEWDEW.

Or in South Beach, where it's pronounced in the vulgarian DOODOO.

[quote]What could possibly go wrong with traveling to Haiti to become a voodoo priestess?

Did she not have a television and internet access? The damn airport had to close a few months ago because it was unsafe and threatened by rebel gangs. Anywhere with a gang leader called 'Barbecue' rampaging through the capital is not a place to visit. They barely have a government. She should have gone to the West African countries where Voodoo/Vodou had its origins. They aren't perfect, but are far more stable and safe than Haiti is.

Timothy Jackson said his mother, Dana Jackson, went to Haiti on July 1 and was supposed to return on July 26, but that did not happen. WCNC Charlotte's Austin Walker spoke to Timothy about his mother's death and he said things are not adding up.

It was a trip Timothy was hesitant to support. He was uneasy about the trip altogether but his mom was persistent. Dana Jackson had been researching Vodou practices for four years and was ready to take the next step - she wanted to become a priestess and signed up for a retreat in Haiti.

After she booked her ticket from Charlotte to Miami to Haiti, her son was worried about the unstable political climate in Haiti but the two agreed they would talk as much as possible.

“We talked and she told me she was fine once they got there ... we would talk once a day or even more," Timothy said.

But one day, the talking stopped abruptly.

"The last text I received from her was on July 12. They were going to church the following day and [she said] to pray for her," Jackson said. "I knew at this last part of the ceremony she wouldn’t have access to her phone. I did research and that was common.”

Dana told Timothy she would message him on July 21.

"On July 21, I waited and waited," Jackson said. "Then on July 22 I had an eerie feeling and I had no messages on WhatsApp.

Timothy received a call from his grandfather on July 22. His grandfather told Timothy his mother was dead.

“I pulled up her itinerary and called the lady in charge, Manbo Maude, and I asked her what happened," Timothy said. "They asked me how much I knew. Then they said she had gone through the ritual but got sick and had a stroke ... then she said seizures ... then, she changed it up and said she had an asthma attack."

Timothy said he knew something was up with the conflicting stories since his mom took her health very seriously and would have gone to the hospital.

Timothy received his mother's death certificate and there were additional red flags. The certificate was messy and missing information, like the official cause of death.

Also, Timothy noticed some things didn't add up on the timeline and learned his mother's body had been moved around the island three times and was unaware of where she was.

"I feel like they manipulated and lied to my mom and I feel like I can’t be quiet about it anymore," Jackson said.

RIP to this mom. I hope they didn’t sacrifice sis.

I’m Cuban, and I can tell you that the number of African Americans abandoning Christianity is quite big. At least, here in south Florida with the Cuban and Haitian influence. They want a more authentic religion and faith system as black people.

Here is the thing, Haitian voudoo is a invented religion. There is no such a thing as Haitian faith in Africa. They derived their system from the Fon slaves but pretty much every they believe and practice is invented. Their deties , they call Loas, do not exist in Africa. I would never recommend any African or white American looking for an African religion to go to Haiti or practice voodoo. By the way, they are a lot of white people practicing African religions. But, many of them go to Cuba, not Haiti. Cuba is very safe, but Haiti is hell on earth. That poor woman was crazy, she didn’t know what she went going to.

In Cuba, the religion is truly original, it is very much preserved from Yoruba land to the point that Yorubas in Nigeria and Santeros in Cuba, can even sing the same ritual songs.

some say that santeria is a syncretism. However, It is only to a certain extent. For example, the deities Orishas are also identified with catholic saints.. nonetheless, many practitioners prefer to keep both religions apart. Its real name is Ocha and is basically run by gays and lesbians in Cuba. No joke. No exaggeration. The religion is pretty much dominated by gay and trans men. This is why Cubans, and straight men in general, are in spite of all their macho attitudes, very tolerant of gay men.

[quote] Or in South Beach, where it's pronounced in the vulgarian DOODOO.

Doo-doo!

Mom must have been absolutely dumber than shit. Who travels to Haiti for cultural tourism in this day and age?

R22 why disrespect a dead woman?

[quote] The religion is pretty much dominated by gay and trans men. This is why Cubans, and straight men in general, are in spite of all their macho attitudes, very tolerant of gay men.

That sounds really hot, especially since I love Cuban men.

That poor woman and her family. It's unfortunate that she didn't plan this trip better but I won't berate her like the cunt R22. The son needs to just accept that he will never really know what happened to his mother, but that she died doing something she wholeheartedly believed in. I have no use for any religion, but I do understand that there are a lot of empty people walking around who need something to believe in. Whatever god this lady believed in, I hope she's with him now and at peace.

Voodoo, Voodou whatever.

It's still a sick looney tunes religion and western civilization did not make it that way. The African people did. Anyway western civilization has its own looney religions to deal with and we are not going to take responsibility for other people's stupidity when we have enough of our own.

R18: "Manbo Maude"

Wasn't that the name of a character in PEEWEE'S BIG ADVENTURE?

She should’ve watched Live and Let Die and saved herself the trouble.

So what do you think really happened?

Did they poison her and then rob her?

What could have happened during the ceremony, that could have caused this?

I'm genuinely curious.

[quote] It's still a sick looney tunes religion and western civilization did not make it that way.

Of course western civilization did not make it that way. Western civilization had nothing to do with its inception at all you dumbass. What coconut tree did you fall out of?

[quote] western civilization has its own looney religions to deal with and we are not going to take responsibility for other people's stupidity when we have enough of our own.

I don't believe anyone asked you to take responsibility for anything R26 you sound like a bonehead. You're so dense and infantile that getting through the day without shitting in your pants is responsibility for you. You have no business calling anyone else stupid.

[quote]Vodou retreat in Haiti

In what universe would this ever be a good idea to someone of sound mind?

[quote] [R22] why disrespect a dead woman?

Won't somebody PLEEEEASE think of the deceased! *sobs hysterically*

I believe she may have ingested a liquid or a substance that was required in the ceremony, & went into cardiac arrest or multiple organ failure, R29.

There’s never, EVER going to be any legal recourse or remediation for her son, since she willingly participated in this, & Haiti is currently a literal hellscape.

Poor lady. Was it stupid? Of course, but her son will have to eventually accept that he may never fully know what actually happened to his mom.

Such a pretty woman. I hope they get answers and closure.

I think she likely had some intestinal parasite from drinking the water and eating the food. She was likely dehydrated from religious rituals, lack of AC, and the diarrhea and vomiting a parasite like cryptosporidium would have caused.

It’s a bit much of the son to expect an entirely professional death certificate which has seen a years-long break own of any and all government services and departments. It’s likely a doctor is hard to find, much less one that has time for a cultural tourist.

Her body will never make it back to Charlotte, at least not in this political climate, and she’s likely already interred in a grave, most certainly unmarked.

A parashite like cryptoshporidium

[quote] authentic religion

Oxymoron.

Bitch should have given me my cut when she tole the tip jar.

People who would believe in magic and voodoo are very susceptible to magical thinking and ignoring clear signs of danger - like state department warnings to not travel there.

There are some people in North Carolina who need to be interviewed.

That sounds a more likely scenario than mine, R35.

Consequence culture

And they call ME the voodoo woman!

“Vodou?” First, “Kiev” is actually pronounced “keef?” Now this?

I can’t take this anymore! Calling Doctor Mumbai!

Papa Legba demanded a sacrifice. She understood her role and fulfilled her purposes.

I am so tired of people getting less and less rational.

People have NEVER been rational, r45!

No they have been. Ca 1955-1975 when science prevailed.

Cults FLOURISHED in America during that period, r47.

True, R46.

We are just more accustomed to hearing about it, but it's no less crazy that Pentecostal people have died dancing with rattlesnakes, religious cults have committed mass suicide, Scientologists are all paranoid and fully deluded about reality, people who say they dedicate their lives to the teachings of Jesus dedicate their lives to empowering Jesus-antithesis Donald Trump, women allow their husbands to harm them and even their children in the name of being good Christians.

Traveling to Haiti to be murdered by voodoo practitioners is just a new spin on some good ol' craycray.

Honestly, my relatives are from New Orleans and grew up around that mess. None of that shit is to be fucked with. But you can't tell people anything.

Oh well. RIP Robert Johnson.

R47 Ah yes the days of Charles Manson and Jim Jones. Way more rational era.

and LBJ!

And Jim Bakker!

She dead, mon!

[quote]“I don't even think the U.S. Embassy got involved, or even received the necessary paperwork until about four days ago.”

Difficult to imagine the US embassy becoming involved until a communication was filed 1.) by a hospital in a currently lawless country or 2.) by a family member of the deceased -- ideally one who doesn't dramatically hang up after hearing one sentence and then eventually calling back again and again.

Something ain't right with the son. I think both he and his late mama shared a predilection for, shall we say, impulsivity.

[quote]“Vodou?” First, “Kiev” is actually pronounced “keef?”

And spelled KYIV, dear.

Since we now pronounce words as they are spoken—Keev, Mumbai—why haven't we changed to Urkinnsaw, Mazzachoozits, Loozianna, Tegzis, and so on?

[quote]Urkinnsaw, Mazzachoozits, Loozianna, Tegzis, and so on?

Arkansaw, Massachewsits, Loowheezeeanna, Tecksess.

R25 oh get fucked you pearl-clutching cunt. This is the same type of idiocy as the Christian missionaries going to North Sentinel island and winding up dead. “Sure didn’t see that one coming!”

R37 authentic was meant to signify that it preserved its original characteristics from the source. Don’t be an idiot.

Thank you, R22.

What sane person travels to Haiti now, where drug gangs have overrun the place, and the government is incapable of restoring order?

And when did Voodoo become Vodou?

[quote] oh get fucked you pearl-clutching cunt.

Oooh I'm scared now R60! You talk pretty tough for a shrinking weak-kneed queen hiding behind a screen. It's not pearl-clutching to have an ounce of human empathy for someone who lost their mother and is trying to bring her body back home. Unfortunately odious cunts like you live to troll another day.

[quote]No they have been. Ca 1955-1975 when science prevailed.

You mean the era that saw the birth of Scientology, The Moonies, The Sullivanians, The Peoples Temple, Heaven’s Gate, The Branch Davidians and The Children of God?

You dabble in them black arts …

I too know what it’s like to lose your mother to a dumb decision that leads them to South America.

I wonder how unhealthy she was? In that heat/humidity going through all that stress

R66 Haiti is not in South America.

R63, Dear Pseudo-Moralizing High Horse Cunt, again, save your pearl-clutching, grandstanding air of moral superiority. It’s Datalounge, not the church frau social. Self righteous twat.

R69 Put a sock in it Mary. You lost the plot several posts ago. Even for Datalounge, your miserable ass is in very thread being a negative bitter piece of shit. I’m positive you spend most of your days alone and sexless. Im also positive you have a double wide big back. With a double triple chin to match. You miserable piece of shit. Log off and rethink your tragic negative ass life and mindset. Stay mad, you broke and BROKEN miserable cunt.