Family honours mother's dying wish by donating gift bags to cancer patients
|Published
GESTURE: Brigitte Johnson succumbed to her cancer battle 40min before her 60th birthday GESTURE: Brigitte Johnson succumbed to her cancer battle 40min before her 60th birthday
Family and friends have fulfilled the dying wish of a mother who passed away just minutes before her 60th birthday, by donating 105 toiletry gift bags to cancer patients at Tygerberg Hospital.
On Sunday, family and friends of Brigitte Johnson dressed in black T-shirts with her name printed on it and handed out the gift bags to grateful patients.
Brigitte had breast cancer and was a patient at the hospital last year May, when she had a mastectomy where one of her breasts was removed.
The avid runner and mother to two children and ouma to three grandkids lived in Epping Forest.
She was also a union and board member of the Christmas Fraternal Choir.
Mauresia Behr, 51, says her sister was in remission but had developed pneumonia.
“She was diagnosed with breast cancer last year February and in May she had a mastectomy.
“A year after the surgery she began coughing and was diagnosed with pneumonia and her lungs had to be drained.
“But we believe because of her history with the cancer, over all, it was the cancer in the end which took her life.”
GRANTED: Family, friends at Tygerberg Hospital
Mauresia says Brigitte’s dying wish was for the family to participate in The Sunflower Fund 5km Run or Walk for Charity and to donate toiletries to cancer patients at the hospital.
“She was a very humble person and she was always worried about the next person.
“On her sick bed she said she didn’t want any gifts for her 60th birthday.
“She died on 3 September, 40 minutes before her 60th birthday.
“We participated in the run and continued with her wish to the month of October because it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.”
Family donated 105 gift bags. Picture supplied.
She says the family and friends made up the gift bags themselves and handed it over on Sunday.
Tygerberg spokesperson, Laticia Pienaar, says: “Our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Ms. Johnson.
“We want to thank them that Tygerberg Hospital could benefit from their thoughtfulness as the kind gesture brought happiness for our patients.”