River Reporter writer Colette Ballew talked with Quiyanna Terry and Miyanna Albritton, the sisters of Kia Williams, for a portrait of a love story that has ended tragically.

Efforts to bring Kia’s son Versaille and her new husband back to the U.S. are ongoing.

BARRYVILLE, NY — Kia Williams loved to travel and take adventures wherever her heart took her. She helped Jess Lewis and Kirsten Frazell found the Sullivan County Mamas, a Facebook page that helps new mothers cope in the rural area. 

She also had started a cooking venture, “Kia’s Kitchen,” in the short time she was a resident of Sullivan County. Whenever Kia would be asked to help, her response was always, “Of course I can help you!,” Lewis said. Kia would then show up on your doorstep with a homemade meal to complete the mission. 

She was considered “the wild one” of her family. Why? “Because she had serious wanderlust,” Lewis said. 

Most of her family was content to stay put. They’re still located in the town where she grew up in California, except for one sister who lives in New York City. 

Kia’s trips were always about immersing herself into the culture of the country she was visiting. When she planned these adventures, she often would volunteer her time to a local project or try to connect with local professionals, photographers to “document” her journey and make it more meaningful. She was doing just that as she organized her trip to Ghana last year. She put the word out on a few international sites asking for local photographers in Ghana interested in documenting her trip to reach out.

Desmond Agyeman Duah did reach out, thus a conversation about her trip began. At first there were quick notes that turned into long messages that eventually became dedicated Facetime conversations about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. It was obvious to Kia that there was an attraction, her family said. 

When she finally arrived in Accra, Ghana, Desmond was no longer a stranger though they had never actually met in person until then. It was a true “love at first sight” kind of story, according to her sister Quiyanna Terry. 

That was August 2022, and by September they were married. Kia returned to the states to wrap up loose ends so that she and her six-year-old son, Versaille, could then get on a plane for Ghana to acclimate as a family with Desmond in his homeland. She went with her son in February of 2023, with the intention of staying a few months, and then returning to Barryville with Desmond, as long as they could obtain his visa. 

Things didn’t go as planned. Kia was suddenly ill with a respiratory infection; the doctor gave her something to help with the cough and sent her home. She did not improve, and did not get the medical help she needed, even when she was hospitalized. The health care system in Ghana works if you can pay or negotiate the price is the impression her family has from the contact they have had with the hospital, Terry said. In the hospital, they would not admit her for treatment until she had paid a bill for $6,000 for the emergency care already done. 

Kia’s family and friends said they were stunned at the announcement of her death because they had spoken to her days before. Though she was coughing, saying she was feeling tired, whatever she had did not seem to be life threatening. 

But the family still does not know exactly what the cause of death was. The autopsy has only just been done, many weeks after her death, and the results have not yet been reported. The family received medical records that listed several things like pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and a miscarriage as well as the course of treatments they had rendered. 

Kia did not plan to get ill, obviously. She was 30 years old, healthy and living life to the fullest. She had no health concerns that would have made anyone think that this trip was unwise. Thinking she had time, she had not registered her marriage with the embassy. She did not work out legal issues of custody of her son, her property, or her assets. She did not dream that she would die in Ghana. 

This leaves Desmond in a very precarious situation, Terry said. He is legally married to Kia in Ghana, but is uncertain of whether the marriage is recognized by the United States. 

Desmond is not the legal guardian of her son, Versailles. He is in Ghana without his mother, living with his very new stepfather. There are so many complications that it is hard for the family to decide which one to concentrate on. 

Terry and another sister, Miyanna Albritton, have been trying to get the American Embassy in Ghana to help with the procedures of getting Kia’s remains, her son and her husband into the United States. The embassy has been less than helpful, Terry said sadly. They willingly give the family information, numbers to call and things to consider. They have not given them actual help in getting the paperwork processed or expedited. The American embassy doesn’t seem to think that this falls under their jurisdiction, she said. 

The Ghana government has not been much help either. First they do not have regular hours, so that makes trying to contact them very difficult. “It might be something you could work out if you were in place, but being halfway around the globe makes it difficult with time differences, schedules, availability, etc.,” Terry said. 

All Kia’s family wants is to get Versaille back to the States with his mother’s remains and hopefully help Desmond to obtain the visa he needs to be able to come also. Their GoFundMe is still active until Saturday, June 24. The family is planning a memorial service for Monday, June 26 in California.

The Gofundme can be found  here.