‘Bring her back home’: Winnipeg family who lost loved one overseas turns to community for help

All Cori Lynn Duke wants now is to put her daughter to rest.

The Duke family in Winnipeg is mourning the loss of their loved one, 28-year-old Brittney Duke, who took her life in September.

What’s already been an extremely difficult time is made more complicated because Brittney was living in Beijing at the time of her death, and her family must now figure out how they’ll afford to bring her home.

“I won’t be at peace until she’s home,” said her mother Cori Lynn, who says she still has trouble believing Brittney is gone.

Cori Lynn, who lives in St-Pierre-Jolys, Man., described Brittney as a caring, smart person who loved to dance. Brittney, a former model, had been teaching English to children in China for the last seven years.

“We pray every night for her to come home and we can put her to rest,” Cori Lynn said.

That comes at a large cost to the family.

“Our first quote was US$33,000, so that was shocking,” Cori Lynn told CityNews. “And then we did some research and it’s a lot of money. In Canadian now, it’s dropped. It’s $22,000.

“Relying on friends and family is very hard because right now is hard times with everything.

“I would sell everything. My home. My assets. Everything to get my daughter home.”

Brittney’s brother Tylr says while the family has “enough to get by… it’s not enough to be able to financially bring her back home.”

That’s why Tylr and the family turned to online fundraising, where they’ve raised $9,000 so far. Funds are slowly coming in, but there’s still a long way to go.

“Trying to get the money to bring her back home, and then host a proper funeral for her,” he said.

Tylr remembers the last time he saw his sister. It was eight months ago, when she surprised the family by coming back to Winnipeg for a visit.

“I got to say goodbye to her when she went out to China, but it would be really nice to say goodbye to her again,” he said.

“I wish I would have hugged her longer and told her how much I loved her.”

Brittney’s youngest brother Wesley also remembers their last moments together. “We went to my grandparents … I slept (at Tylr’s) with Brittney and Tylr, we just played games.”

“I miss her a lot.”

No one in the family knew Brittney was struggling.

“I was really in shock,” said Wesley, who feels Brittney’s ashes should be spread in Canada because she was born there.

The Duke family says they’re grateful at how the community is rallying to help, especially since they don’t know where else to turn.

“There was probably not another person on this earth like my sister,” Tylr said.

“Growing up with her my whole life, it just feels like a part of me is now gone.”