Galway mother stuck in Tanzania for two years as her autistic daughter refuses to fly home due to PTSD

Caroline Ejoh is pleading for help as her daughter Tyra, 16, is suffering from severe PTSD and is refusing to get on a plane

A distraught mother has been stuck in Tanzania for two years as her autistic daughter has refused to get on a flight back to Ireland nine separate times.

Caroline Ejoh is pleading for help as her daughter Tyra, 16, is suffering from severe PTSD and is refusing to get on a plane to return to their home in Galway. In August 2022, Caroline flew to Tanzania - where she is originally from - with Tyra and her three younger daughters.

They were visiting her home country after her brother sadly died from contracting Covid-19. When the mother and her four children got on their return flight to Ireland, she never expected that two years later she’d be trapped in the country with her eldest daughter.

READ MORE: Distraught mother 'losing all hope' for autistic son still without school place

READ MORE: 'We feared life-changing scoliosis surgery hope was gone after we couldn't get travel insurance'

Caroline told the Irish Mirror: “[Tyra] never mentioned anything about being scared to travel, we have done a few trips. So that day we went to the airport she was saying she didn’t want to go and she was nervous, but I thought she was just feeling anxious about travelling."

After boarding the plane, Tyra refused to sit down, and Caroline and her four children had to disembark the plane. She added: "Tyra said she wanted to go back to grandma's house, then it became a big issue, the flight was delayed for two and a half hours because they had to confirm that she was my child, in case I was taking her away.”

Six months after this flight, the family was still in Tanzania living with Caroline’s elderly parents as Tyra couldn't get over her fear of flying. However, the mother didn’t want her three younger children to continue missing out on any more school, so she flew back with them to Ireland in February 2023.

When she went back home to Galway, Caroline's sister moved to Tanzania to look after Tyra. She stayed there for four months, and then Caroline returned on her own to take care of her eldest daughter, while the other three stayed in Galway with their father.

Tyra has refused on nine separate occasions to board a flight home, despite having up to three therapy sessions a week to get over her fear. Doctors say the teenager has PTSD from flying, perhaps from a flight she took as a child, but it only presented in her later years.

Caroline said this has caused immense stress for her and her family, and it has been a massive financial burden. The mother is missing her three younger children at home and has been out of work since the ordeal began.

She said: “If I want to give up now and go back, how can she stay here? One time I had to go to a therapist myself because I was getting depressed, how can I divide myself between two places?

“It’s been a very tough journey, I don’t wish for anyone to go through this because I don’t know what tomorrow brings.” The mother has come up with a plan to hopefully get her daughter home to Ireland. However, after having to leave her job and spending money on multiple flights and therapy for Tyra, she is looking for help to fund it.

Caroline has set up an online GoFundMe fundraiser to help with the high cost of getting her daughter home. The family’s first plan is to travel from Tanzania to Nairobi by car, then take a non-stop flight to London, followed by a ferry to Dublin.

They hope Tyra will agree to get on this flight, as it is direct and from a different airport than she has previously refused to fly from. Caroline added: “Tyra has said she is glad I am not taking her to Dar Airport, I am very hopeful.

"She says going from Kenya will take fewer hours. Tyra has shown incredible strength, but after setbacks at the airport, we want to eliminate any doubts and ensure she feels completely safe this time on her journey home.”

If Tyra refuses to get on this plane, they plan on travelling from Tanzania to Ireland by bus and ferry. The mother added: “This involves travelling by bus or rental vehicle with hired security personnel through multiple countries to reach Morocco or Algeria, then crossing by ferry to Spain, or travelling through Egypt and taking a ship, though this option is currently not recommended due to security concerns in Central Africa.”

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.