A North Carolina man is demanding answers following the sudden death of his mother, Dana Jackson, 51, who passed away while attending a Vodou retreat in Haiti.
Jackson had traveled to Haiti in pursuit of becoming a Manbo priestess, a role within the Haitian Vodou tradition that involves performing ceremonies, initiations, healings, and divinations.
Vodou, an African religion with roots in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey—now modern-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo—has often been misunderstood and misrepresented.
Alternative spellings such as Vodun and Vodoun are more accurate than the widely used term “Voodoo,” which is considered a sensationalist and derogatory Western creation.
According to her son, Timothy Jackson, his mother had been researching and practicing Vodou for several years and felt a deep spiritual connection to the tradition.
“She had been on this path of doing research and practicing,” Timothy told USA Today. “This was something she wanted to do for a long time.”
Dana Jackson left for Haiti on July 1 and was scheduled to return to the U.S. on July 26. She traveled with a group known as Sosyete, a Vodou community with which she had developed close ties.
Timothy noted that the group had even traveled together to Boston in June for another spiritual gathering.
Mysterious Silence During Ritual Raises Concerns
Timothy was aware that part of the Vodou ceremony involved a period of silence, during which communication with the outside world is restricted.
“She sent me one last message on the 13th, saying, ‘we will talk on the 21st going to church tomorrow,’” he recalled.
Although this period of no contact made him anxious, Timothy wanted to respect his mother’s decision to fully participate in the ritual.
However, when July 21 arrived and Timothy did not hear from his mother, he began to worry.
“I woke up panicking,” he said. “By now, she at least would have responded to my text.”
The next day, on July 22, his worst fears were realized when his grandmother informed him that his mother had died.
“She told me, ‘your mom’s not coming back from Haiti.’ I was in shock and disbelief,” he shared.
Conflicting Accounts and Unanswered Questions
After learning of his mother’s death, Timothy reached out to one of the retreat leaders, who gave conflicting accounts of what happened.
According to the leader, Dana Jackson fell ill during the ceremony, became disoriented, and later suffered seizures, a heart attack, and a stroke at the hospital.
However, Timothy was skeptical, especially when they mentioned his mother had forgotten to bring her medicine.
“What medicine are you talking about? It sounds like they were trying to perpetuate a story,” he said.
Timothy was supposed to receive an update on the location of his mother’s body on Aug. 16 but has not heard anything. He is frustrated by the lack of communication from both the Vodou group and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, which reportedly only became involved a few days ago.
Honoring Dana Jackson’s Legacy
Despite the tragedy, Timothy remembers his mother as a loving and determined woman who worked hard to create a better life for him.
In 1999, Dana relocated to Savannah, Georgia, for a new job, which allowed Timothy to enjoy a stable home and participate in extracurricular activities.
“She told me she needed that time to learn how to become a mother to her son,” he said.
Among his fondest memories is a 2017 family trip to Las Vegas, where they unexpectedly met rapper Nelly.
“We both just chased him down, and he turned around and spoke with us. That’s how in sync we were,” Timothy recalled.
Timothy has created a GoFundMe account to cover funeral expenses and the cost of transporting his mother’s body back to the U.S. He also hopes to conduct an autopsy to uncover the truth about her death.
“My mom told me years ago that she wanted to be cremated and shared her final wishes,” he said.
Dana Jackson was set to celebrate her 52nd birthday on Sept. 13.
