A Winnipeg woman killed in a bus crash while on vacation is being remembered as a determined, caring and selfless mother who always offered a helping hand to those who needed it — whether it be volunteering or rescuing stray cats.

“Our mom is the reason that we’re … where we’re at in life. She was our best friend. She never, never backed down from a challenge — it was such a blessing to have her,” her older son, Ashton Kropla, told CBC News. 

Kim Lafantaisie died after the tourist bus she was on crashed over the weekend while going down a road in Villa Hermosa, a town in the Dominican Republic about 100 kilometres east of Santo Domingo. 

The 57-year-old Winnipegger — who also went by her married name, Pattyn, after a recent marriage — flew to Punta Cana’s airport with her husband Sunday. Her family says she boarded a Nexus Tours bus heading to a resort on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. 

Kropla told CBC News his mother was usually in touch with them regularly through a group chat. She texted them when she landed and shortly after boarding the shuttle, but the messages stopped. 

A day went by without hearing from her. Kropla said he was getting to go to bed on Monday evening when his father shared the news that a bus had crashed in the Dominican Republic. 

Shortly after, Kropla got a call from a reporter in Toronto who asked if he was related to Kim. 

“My heart literally sunk,” he said. “With the news from my father, my adrenaline is racing, my heart is racing.” 

Kropla contacted the hotel his mom was planning to stay at and he was told she never checked in. He reached out to Sunwing, the airline his mom was travelling with, who confirmed over the phone that two people had died in the shuttle crash, he said.

The airline referred him to Global Affairs Canada, but Kropla said the federal agency couldn’t initially confirm his mother was one of the victims. He reached out to the Toronto reporter, who shared a news article from a Dominican outlet with his mom’s passport picture displayed. 

“At that moment in time, I didn’t really need anyone more to tell me that my mom was gone,” Kropla said. “I sat basically just stone cold, emotionless. I thought of every possibility that this might not be a thing.” 

Global Affairs Canada confirmed Lafantaisie’s death to him at about midnight Tuesday,

‘Generous beyond belief’

Kropla said Lafantaisie had only ever been on one previous vacation to a warm destination.

“Our mom didn’t do a whole lot for herself. Everything was her boys, her husband Richard,  everyone else’s happiness, but not hers,” Kropla said. “This was a really interesting opportunity to see if she could actually relax, and she didn’t get to.” 

Kropla said his mother worked hard to study while raising her family, eventually leading to a job with Manitoba Health. 

“No one did anything for her to bring her there. She did it all herself,” he said. “Our mum showed us that anything was possible if you put your mind to it. That was exactly who she was.”

Brady Kropla, Lafantaisie’s younger son, said he remembers his mom studying and working two to three jobs at a time while he was growing up to make sure the family had what it needed. 

“But then, she also was always present,” Brady said. “If I ever had something I wasn’t sure I could do, she would tell me that I could, and like, there’d be no if, ands or buts. I’m gonna miss her a lot.”

Brady also remembers the compassion his mom showed for countless stray cats. Lafantaisie was an animal lover, and her sons say she took care of every feline she saw roaming the streets. 

She would bring some of them to her house and feed those she couldn’t multiple times a day, and made sure they had a place to hide from the cold.

Lafantaisie also volunteered at her church, waking up before sunrise to make perogies that would be donated to those in need or sold for fundraising.

“Our mom had no time — it was always being given away. That’s who she was, generous beyond belief,” Ashton Kropla said. 

Seeking answers 

Kropla said he spoke with his stepfather, a former Winnipeg Transit driver, after Pattyn came out of surgery. Kropla said Pattyn told him the driver was going very fast on many curves, and that the bus took a sharp turn and then headed off the road’s shoulder.

Kropla said the last time Pattyn saw Lafantaisie, she was being taken away on a stretcher. His stepfather thought he was going to see her again, Kropla said.

“He’s completely crushed,” Kropla said. “They were looking forward to spending tons of time together in their golden years.” 

Kropla said his family wants answers and an investigation into the crash. 

“That’s just a bare minimum decency,” he said. “Everything we’re having to do ourselves. We’re having to fill in all these blanks. Finding out our mom died, we’ve got to wait a day and a half — it is crazy.” 

CBC News asked the Dominican Republic National Police whether they are investigating the crash. CBC has also reached out to Nexus Tours.

Kropla said the support the airline has given to his family was slow and felt out of touch after Sunwing offered to cover travelling costs to the Dominican Republic.

The family wants to caution other travellers to be careful, get insurance, but most importantly, to not hold back on saying, “I love you.” 

“You brush it aside.… They’re adults, and they have this thick skin. None of that matters. We’re never going to get our mum back,” Kropla said.

“She was the best person that I’ve ever met.”