A Refugee Family from Pakistan have sought the help of BACA to repatriate the corpse of their daughter back to Pakistan after she died of Systemic Lupus.
Kazia Rehan, 18, first exhibited symptoms for the auto-immune disease in August 2019 at a time when she when she was working illegally as a part time waitress, to support her education, after her family fled Pakistan due to death threats and religious persecution.
Young Kaiza before the onset of Systemic Lupus.
After suffering from a mild fever, Kazia Rahan was first treated at a local Thai government hospital. However, concern grew after Kazia did not recover from their diagnosis that it was a minor infection despite following medical advice of placing her on a better diet to fight the infection. As her health deteriorated the family took her to the Rajveeti private hospital, nearby, who then diagnosed her symptoms as Systemic Lupus, a disease that effects the heart, muscle and blood – after extensive tests. All of her medical fees were paid for by Bangkok Refugee Centre (BRC) a group funded by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Thailand. BRC covered every aspect recognising the pain that Kazia had been enduring as the family still hold registration as asylum seekers with UNHCR Thailand.
Kazia Rehan is the only daughter of Mr Maqbool Masih (58 yrs) and his wife Angelina (48 yrs) who applied for asylum after flying to Thailand on a tourist visa in 2014 to flee death threats.The couple also have three sons Rufus (22 yrs), Noman (21 yrs) and 12-year-old Hanook.
Despite Thai government restrictions on asylum seekers working, Kazia was still able to enrol for a GED (General Development Education) High School Equivalency Certificate. To pay for her course and help with her family’s living expenses she also worked illegally as a waitress in a cafeteria, putting herself at considerable risk. It was her dream to begin a new life and successful career once she escaped the abject poverty, fear of arrest, discrimination and exploitation that her family had to undergo in Thailand.
Kazia Masih (RIP)
When Kazia lost her fight for life on 12th October 2019, her family sought the help of BACA as they felt emotionally compelled to send her body to Pakistan for burial by her paternal family. BACA paid £200 towards the costs for the transfer of the corpse as the family had raised the rest themselves.
Angelina Masih, said:
“I could not bear for my daughter to be buried in Thailand where we would find it hard to return, after we leave, due to the many bad memories we have of this country.
“We may not have the same persecution as we faced in Pakistan but we have never been accepted here.
“I have lost my daughter and it has been really painful for me and now her body has been buried far away.
“Although it hurts that I can no longer be with her I know she is now resting in a better place and her body has been restored by our Lord.
“One day in heaven I will be reunited and I look forward to seeing the perfect body she will adorn in heaven.”
The family are currently waiting for a decision by the UNHCR Thailand on their current asylum application as are thousands of Pakistani Christians. They have asked for your prayers.
We continue to help Pakistani Christians in Thailand and should you wish to support our aid program which includes providing regular living costs to mothers whose husbands have been locked away in Thailand’s brutal Immigration Detention Centres and regular food distribution to asylum seekers and refugees in IDC’s, please donate by clicking (here).
