The son of a 51-year-old American woman is demanding answers about her mysterious death after she traveled to Haiti to take part in a Vodou ritual.

Dana Jackson left the United States on July 1, her son Timothy Jackson said USA Today.

Her goal was to become a Manbo priestess – a ritual specialist in the Haitian Vodou tradition who performs ceremonies, initiations, healings and divinations. Haitian Vodou is derived from African Vodou and was developed in the country between the 16th and 19th centuries, with an emphasis on ancestral remembrance and healing.

Jackson’s role would also have allowed her to become a spiritual guide for people who come into contact with Vodou gods through possession.

Jackson had been preparing for the trip for years, her son revealed.

“Four years ago, my mother started doing a little research into the traditional spiritual belief systems of Africa, and Vodou was a part of it,” he said.

“She was kind of on a path of just researching and practicing, or at least doing her due diligence as far as research goes.”

Timothy Jackson said his mother made the trip with a group of people who had previously been to Boston together.

“These weren’t strangers she went down there with,” her son said. “These are people she built a relationship with.”

Timothy Jackson said his mother sent him a message on July 13 telling him that she would be going to church for several days to participate in the holy ceremony and therefore would not be able to speak to him during that time.

She said she would contact him on July 21.

That day, Timothy Jackson texted his mother asking her to “pray for her.”

The next day his grandmother called him and told him that his mother had died.

Her return to the United States was scheduled for July 26.

Timothy Jackson approached one of the group’s leaders to confirm the news of his mother’s death and said the person immediately wanted to know how much he knew about the situation.

Now he fears that “something sinister” happened during the retreat.

“To be completely honest, at first I thought my mother had traveled to Haiti, the final part of the ceremony was performed there and then something sinister happened,” he told the outlet.

Timothy Jackson said he was told that his mother became ill during the ceremony, lost consciousness, and when she came to, did not know where she was. At one point, a member of the group asked her where she was and she replied, “Virginia.” Timothy Jackson said neither he nor his mother had lived in Virginia for over a year.

The group eventually took her to a hospital, where she began having seizures and suffered a heart attack and stroke.

Timothy Jackson has expressed doubts about the version of events told by the group’s members.

He said he was told his mother had forgotten her medication, which had led to her deteriorating health, but he said he had no knowledge of his mother taking any medication.

He has now started a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs of bringing his mother’s body to the US. According to the fundraising page, the US Embassy was not involved in the arrangements to bring the body back.

So far, the site has raised just over $11,000 of its $50,000 goal.