25-year-old humanitarian from the US dies from malaria while overseas

OMAHA, Nebraska -- A 25-year-old woman died doing good and now her family is trying to find a way to bring her body home.

Meghan Liddy moved to Africa after high school for humanitarian work with children with special needs.

"At least it gives us peace to know that she may have passed, but she was doing exactly what she wanted to do," Liddy's aunt, Trisha Steele, told KETV.

Liddy's family says she lived her life with bravery and compassion, moving to Ghana to help children with special needs.

"She ended up becoming a foster mother to two little precious girls named Rhonda and Priscilla," said Steele.

The 25-year-old was in the process of adopting them, and had recently taken in a 1-year-old boy with severe medical issues.

She also started her own organization, Family-First Ghana.

"In her 25 years, she did way more than what the rest of us probably will ever accomplish," Steele said.

Last week, Liddy fell ill. She later posted on Facebook, writing:

"Hey Facebook (fam). I've been hospitalized with malaria and it's kinda seriously kicking my butt along with lots of other horrible things happening this week. Please if you could send good vibes prayers and whatever else you got."

Liddy's condition worsened quickly, from walking and talking on Tuesday to being intubated on Thursday when she lost consciousness.

Her family tried to arrange an emergency medical evacuation back to the U.S.

"We just, we ran out of time," Steele said.

Now, her family hopes to fly her body to Omaha to bury her. They don't know how long it could take or how much it could cost.

"We're a half a world away. This is the only thing I can do for her and my family, is to bring her home," she said.

So far, a GoFundMe page has raised more than $30,000.