She dies on the plane; His family spends 8 hours next to his remains

A British mother died on a plane returning from Hong Kong with her family in early August, and her relatives were forced to spend the remaining eight hours on the plane next to her remains.

On August 5, Helen Rhodes left Hong Kong to return to the United Kingdom after a 15-year absence. During the flight, she became unconscious and died.

Family members say that despite being shocked by the tragedy, they found time to say what they had to say to their dead mother.

They had to wait until the plane landed in Frankfurt, Germany before finally removing the body from the plane. Her husband Simon and their two children Nathan and Emma left her in Germany and returned to the UK.

A Crowdfunding campaign Started by Helen Rhodes friend Jane JJ. The latter described Helen as a woman of deep kindness. “She was always ready to lend a hand or advice. She loved to talk and made friends easily,” Ms Jeje wrote.

An accomplished seamstress, Helen Rhodes began her business designing bow ties and other accessories. Her professional journey took her to Hong Kong where she lived with her family for almost 15 years.

After all this time, Helen, her husband and their children were returning home when she died.

“This is an unimaginable loss. Helen was a devoted wife and mother. She is the cement of her family,” says Jane JJ.

The crowdfunding campaign aims to help the family pay for Helen’s funeral and cope with their loss. So far more than 34,000 books or about 53,000 Canadian dollars have been collected.