Isis hostage: Who is Kayla Mueller?

US aid worker who volunteered at schools has been confirmed dead by the White House

Kayla Mueller, the US aid worker Isis is claiming has been killed in a Jordanian air strike (The Daily Courier, Matt Hinshaw)

The family of an American woman held hostage by Isis have been told she is dead, the White House has confirmed.

On Friday, the jihadist group claimed that Kayla Jean Mueller had been killed during a Jordanian air strike, although that is yet to be confirmed. She was taken in August 2013 while leaving a hospital in Syria.

Kayla Mueller, an aid worker from Arizona, was taken hostage in Syria in August 2013 (Courtesy of the family)

A native of Prescott, Arizona, Mueller reportedly demonstrated an interest in aid and human rights work during her high school years, as a member of the Save Darfur Coalition. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in 2009 and afterwards worked at an orphanage in India, and at an HIV/AIDS clinic at home in the US.

She disappeared after driving into the norther Syria city of Aleppo with her Syrian boyfriend and was captured along with several other aid workers in August 2013 while working at a hospital in Aleppo.

Her colleagues received subsequently received a proof-of-life video, showing her wearing a hijab and begging for her life.

A year later, CBS News reported that Isis had demanded a ransom equivalent to £4.3m for her release.

Her identity was never disclosed by authorities out of concern for her safety when she was taken hostage.

In 2013, Mueller spoke about her experiences to the Prescott Kiwanis Club, a volunteer group of which her father Carl is a member. “Syrians are dying by the thousands, and they're fighting just to talk about the rights we have,” she said.

Kayla Mueller was killed in a Jordanian air strike in February 2015 (Google+)

“For as long as I live, I will not let this suffering be normal, something we just accept... It’s important to stop and realise what we have, why we have it and how privileged we are. And from that place, start caring and get a lot done.”

"When Syrians hear I'm an American, they ask, 'Where is the world?' All I can do is cry with them, because I don't know," she said.

The 26-year-old was captured by Isis in 2013 as she tried to help refugees in Aleppo (AP)

A statement from her family's representative said: "The suffering of the Syrian refugees drew Kayla to the Turkish/Syrian border... to assist families who had been forced to flee their homes.

"Kayla found this work heartbreaking but compelling; she is extremely devoted to the people of Syria.

"The common thread of Kayla's life has been her quiet leadership and strong desire to serve others.

"When asked what kept her going in her mission, she said: 'I find God in the sufferng eyes reflected in mine. If this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.'"