On Friday 10 February 2023 our dear friend Agnes Chipekam Tagne passed away in the Bexley Wing, St James’s University Hospital, Leeds.

Agnes was a beautiful young woman aged 31 from Cameroon who had been living in Leeds since autumn 2021. During that time she became a much loved friend of many of us, both local people, and her compatriots and other African communities such as Ivorian and Congo. 

Agnes came to Leeds as an asylum seeker and lived briefly in the Harehills house of St Monica’s Housing which offers accommodation to destitute women.

Agnes gradually learnt some English (she came from the French-speaking part of Cameroon), was very lively when fit, and told us about her much loved 11-year old daughter Ashley who was being looked after by her 70-year old grandmother who toiled daily in the fields around the village. Very sadly Agnes’s elder sister and brother had both died some years ago.

Unfortunately, Agnes’s health deteriorated during 2022, despite all the wonderful efforts of our NHS.  For a brief period, when her health had improved, Agnes lived at Willow Bank Care Home in East Leeds whose kindness she much appreciated, especially the opportunity to eat her favourite foods. By this time, she had built up a circle of friends who brought her tasty dishes, provided English lessons, and the occasional outing.

However, these sunny days did not last.  In September 2022, Agnes
was returned to the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital, where her friends continued to visit her, bringing her Cameroonian food while the staff made great efforts to control her pain.  

Agnes always hoped to see again her beloved daughter and to the end, efforts were being made to enable Ashley to come on a brief visit.  But it was not to be.  Agnes died very peacefully on 10 February, having been visited in her final days by her friends, British, Ivorian and of course Camaroonian.  She also received blessings from 3 pastors (Pentecostal and RC).   Pat, whom she called Mama, was with her when she died.

We want to send Agnes’s body home to her grieving mother. She will be taken there by her great friends Solange, and Floberte who provided her with lovely local food.  But we need around £6,000 when all the associated costs (flight tickets, local expenses etc) are taken into account.

CAS-UK (https://cas-uk.org/)are unable to contribute to this appeal but will help by publicising this Just Giving page.  We appreciate this.

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