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The family of a Canadian woman who suddenly died while on vacation in the Dominican Republic is fundraising to bring her body back home.
Riley and Corrina Gavan, the brother and mother of Devon Gavan, organized a GoFundMe last week to help raise money to bring Devon&#8217;s fiancée, Brook Morneau, back home to Greater Sudbury, Ont.
According to the fundraiser, which has been verified by GoFundMe, Morneau died unexpectedly on March 8 while on a trip to the Dominican Republic with the Gavan family. Devon and Brook had been together for three years and were supposed to get married in October.
<div id="attachment_2252714" style="width: 730px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2252714" class="size-full wp-image-2252714" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/101012341_1773249541944446_r.webp" alt="Dominican Republic" width="720" height="405" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/101012341_1773249541944446_r.webp 720w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/101012341_1773249541944446_r-500x281.webp 500w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" />GoFundMe</div>
&#8220;What began as Brook suddenly feeling unwell turned into every family&#8217;s worst nightmare,&#8221; reads the GoFundMe description.
The Gavans said that on March 7, the 24-year-old woke up feeling ill and was taken to the medic on the resort, who then advised that she be taken to a hospital.
Once at the hospital, Morneau was held overnight for monitoring. That escalated into an ICU stay and eventually resulted in Morneau&#8217;s death the next day, less than 48 hours after being admitted.
&#8220;Everything happened so fast that we are struggling to process the shock and pain of losing her,&#8221; reads the GoFundMe.
The Gavan and Morneau families&#8217; initial fundraising goal to help bring Brook&#8217;s body back home was $25,000. According to the GoFundMe, insurance covered hospital expenses, but the cost of bringing her home, funeral expenses, and her headstone will be paid out-of-pocket.
&#8220;One of the hardest parts of this tragedy is knowing that Brook passed away far from home. Her parents could not be with her in those final moments because she was in another country. No family should ever have to experience that kind of heartbreak,&#8221; it reads.
In an update from Riley on March 13, the initial $25,000 goal was quickly surpassed, and the platform automatically increased the goal. As of Monday, March 16, the fundraising goal is at $60,000, and over $58,000 has been raised.
<div id="attachment_2252718" style="width: 2296px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2252718" class="size-full wp-image-2252718" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM.png" alt="dominican republic" width="2286" height="1184" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM.png 2286w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM-500x259.png 500w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM-1024x530.png 1024w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM-1536x796.png 1536w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM-2048x1061.png 2048w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-16-at-2.20.21-PM-1200x622.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2286px) 100vw, 2286px" />GoFundMe</div>
&#8220;Please know that every donation is deeply appreciated and will go toward the many costs associated with bringing Brook home, funeral and memorial expenses, and supporting those closest to her as they navigate this unimaginable loss,&#8221; wrote Riley.
The Gavan and Morneau families describe Brook as a fiancée, daughter, sister, and friend who was &#8220;easy to talk to, easy to love, and impossible to forget.&#8221; She was also a nurse who &#8220;loved deeply, cared deeply, and made life better for the people around her.&#8221;
&#8220;She brought so much confidence, happiness, and love into [Devon&#8217;s] life. They were always together, holding hands, so alike in so many ways, and truly made for each other,&#8221; reads the GoFundMe.
Riley is continuing to urge Canadians to share the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-brook-home" target="_blank">fundraiser</a> to help bring Brook back home from the Dominican Republic and also ease the financial pressures on her family.
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Family calls for help after Canadian woman dies suddenly in Dominican Republic

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The family of a Canadian woman who suddenly died while on vacation in the Dominican Republic is fundraising to bring her body back home.