My name is Ella Manning. I am a native of Ayden, NC. After enduring a rough childhood,I managed to finally find some happiness when I unknowingly met my future husband Antonio in December 1990. Not only was Antonio my high school sweetheart, but we had become best friends.

Though time and life experiences caused us to drift away for a time, we found our way back to each other in July 1994. The love that had existed between us remained and our love story was rekindled.

My husband and I married on October 3, 1994. It was the happiest day of our lives. We soon became parents of three: Christian, Antonio Jr, and Ashleigh. My husband was a one-in-million type of husband. He was loving, compassionate, understanding, humble, and very patient. He was a present and active father everyday in the lives of our children. He undeniably loved his family and I was the love of his life.

In 2021, after the death of my mom, my family and I made the decision to live in Africa. It was a great experience as we loved learning about our culture and meeting new people. I worked there as a teacher at an international school, while my husband lived a retired lifestyle due to regulations for employment in Tanzania. But as I worked hard outside the home, my husband willingly did all that he could do to help me without complaining. I would arrive home. He’d meet me at the gate, grab my bags, escort me to our bedroom, and point out 2 sets of clothes that he’d laid out for me to choose from to put on to relax in before going to bed. Then he without my asking, massaged my feet or whole body. The house would be fresh and clean. He’d often tell me how much he loved and appreciated me, and I too told him.

On September 17th, my husband, youngest daughter, and I boarded the plane to travel back to the United States because we had received news that our oldest daughter had lost her baby, and being that that was her second loss, we felt the need to be there to support her and her family. Our youngest daughter had decided that she would remain with her siblings in the states when we were ready to return to Tanzania. After 31 years, daddy and I were going to be empty-nesters. We were so excited about this next chapter in our lives.

We arrived in the states, we were excited to see our daughters, sons, and meet our grand children for the 1st time. The whole month was full of fun, laughter, and love. But it was time for my husband and I to travel to back to Tanzania to begin life with just the two of us.

Our first flight departed out of Raleigh NC on October 16th. We arrived in Newark very shortly after. During the layover, We talked about our plans to travel together and find new hobbies to do like play golf. We finally boarded the plane to take the 13-hr flight to Dubai. During the flight, my husband said he was not feeling well. He didn’t have an appetite, but he was not in any pain. After being on the plane for over 12 hours, my husband started to feel a difference in his breathing. I called the flight attendant to request a doctor. She immediately begin to ask if a doctor or a nurse was on board. Two civilian doctors were on board who took my husband’s blood pressure, checked his pulse , and his breathing. They also checked his oxygen level. At that time an oxygen tank was brought to my husband to help him with his breathing. We are now about 40-45 minutes from landing. My husband was told to keep the oxygen on until we land. With the rush of the crowd getting off the plane, we ended up being next to the last ones to head to the exit door of the plane. By the time my husband got near the exit door, he said that he could not walk anymore, and that he was trying to catch his breath. I called for more oxygen to be given to him because breathing was really a struggle for him. After multiple tries of the crew on the plane giving him more oxygen, a team of paramedics finally came on board the plane and began hooking him up to a heart monitor. I was constantly being asked questions and told that I do not need to see what is happening. I answered questions, but screamed hysterically “Breath baby! Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! I love you!” My husband is steady gasping for breath, but looks at me and gives me a thumbs up. Suddenly he jumped up, eyes wide open while looking at me, and his limp body dropped to the airplane seat and falls onto the floor. My husband’s body is stuck in the narrow passageway of the plane. They scrambled to drag his body into an open space to begin CPR. After his body was emerged into open space, he was placed on a lift and eventually the ambulance arrived to take my husband to the hospital. They continued CPR on my husband, but he was still not responding. We arrived at the hospital. The doctors continued to administer CPR. They gave him medication, incubated him, and used an AED defibrillator to try to save him.

As I waited, and seeing different workers enter the room and refuse to look at me when they came out, I became more and more traumatized by what was happening. Then the doctor walked to me and handed me my husband’s wedding ring, and said, “We did everything we could Mrs. Manning, but unfortunately, we could not bring him back.” I was in total SHOCK! I could not believe that this had happened. My husband and I had just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary on October 3rd, and two weeks later, the love of my life, the father of our children was gone. No time to ourselves, no traveling as a couple, no new hobbies as a couple, ot was just me -alone. On October 17th, our love story came to an end.

We had borrowed money to get to the states to see my daughter. Now I am in a place where I can’t leave the country until I pay a $1734 doctor bill. Thanks to family in the states who helped me take care of the doctor bill.

But now, I am in need of help to get my husband’s body back from Dubai to the states and provide him with a proper memorial service.

If you cannot help us, please share. Thanks in advance. The family!