The festive season can be a bittersweet time for those who have lost loved ones, and for the Kotze family of Centurion, it will be a time of reflection as they face their first Christmas without their beloved family member.
Thirty-eight-year-old Michelle, mother to Alexa, 6, and De Wet, 9, died in August, just weeks after doctors discovered a tumour in her brain.
It started when Michelle developed migraines that led to hospitalisation. She then suffered epileptic fits and had surgery where doctors tried to relieve the pressure on her brain.
“Post-surgery, things deteriorated, and she was put in an induced coma to help her brain recover, but her body gave in,” said her husband, Gerrie.
“It happened so fast, with no time for reality to set in. We just have to keep going because life waits for no one. We have to face all the firsts without her - the first birthdays, the first Christmas, and I have to be strong for our children.
Michelle was a big part of everyone’s life – she is the one who made Christmas, Christmas. She made everything special and brought light into our lives.”
As the family reeled from their loss, unpaid medical bills kept mounting as the family was on a basic medical aid plan. Parents from Gerrie's school community jumped in to assist and contacted Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels.
“A BackaBuddy fund has been established to assist the family with all the medical and funeral bills, but it is going slow. If there is any way that you can please help this family, we would all really appreciate it with all our hearts,” the letter said.
To support the Kotze family, Pick n Pay and Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels assisted with R20 000 and R15 000 respectively to cover medical bills and bring financial relief as they navigate their first holiday season without Michelle.
Nothing can fill the void of Gerrie and his children’s devastating loss, but the donation aims to help lighten Gerrie’s financial burden.
This will be used towards medical bills and other expenses so he can focus on his children and family in their healing process and, hopefully, new memories to carry Michelle’s legacy into the new year.
When Gerrie received the news of the donations, he broke down in tears. “This is amazing. I can’t explain how thankful I am. This means more than I can put into words,” he said.
Pick n Pay is rolling out acts of kindness this festive season to create moments that reflect the season's spirit. “Our goal is simple: remind people that together, through small acts of care, we can make a big difference,” said Tessa Chamberlain, Pick n Pay Marketing Director.
She added that every small act of kindness has the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. “This festive season, we want to inspire everyone to ‘give a little bit’ – a little more kindness, a little more warmth, a little more magic.
At Pick n Pay, we believe that even the smallest acts of love and caring can create moments and memories that light up our lives and those around us,” Chamberlain said.
Pretoria News
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