The family of 24-year-old Ghanaian woman Mercy Yaaba Bredu is appealing urgently to the government and relevant authorities to help repatriate her remains from China following her sudden death just days after leaving Ghana to pursue higher education.

Mercy reportedly departed Ghana on Monday, August 24, 2026, after securing a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in China. What was expected to mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her academic journey, however, ended in tragedy only two days later.

According to reports from her family and former university colleagues, Mercy collapsed at an airport in China shortly after arriving in the country. She was rushed to a hospital, where medical professionals reportedly attempted to stabilise her condition. Sadly, she was confirmed dead on Wednesday, August 26.

Her elder sister, Maame Yaaba, said the family was devastated because Mercy appeared healthy when relatives accompanied her to the airport in Ghana. She had recently completed her national service in Winneba and had informed her family that her scholarship application to study abroad had been successful.

The grieving family is now calling on the Government of Ghana, diplomatic authorities and other relevant institutions to assist with the processes required to transport Mercy’s body back home for burial.

The tragedy has also sent shockwaves through the University of Education, Winneba community, where Mercy previously studied. She graduated with first-class honours and served as Vice President of the Association of Students of English during the 2024/2025 academic year.

Her sudden death has transformed what was supposed to be a journey filled with hope, academic ambition and new opportunities into an unimaginable moment of grief for her loved ones.

As the family struggles to come to terms with the heartbreaking loss, their immediate wish is to have Mercy returned to Ghana so she can be laid to rest among her family and loved ones.