WHEN they lost their children, they tried everything to escape the pain. They packed up their home in the Western Cape seaside village of ansbaai and moved 182km away to Barrydale in the Karoo.
They had to get away, Odeté de Vries says. There were too many painful memories: the farm dam where Dameon (7) and Kayllé (5) drowned just 20m from their home, the beach where they'd played every day, the crashing waves they loved to splash in.
Odeté and her husband, André, tried to outrun the agony of losing their children but after living in Barrydale for three months they had to come back.
This was their children's home and the place where their memories resided and besides, there's a ray of light holding them up now. Odeté is six months pregnant and the couple are looking forward to welcoming a child to fill the gaping holes in their hearts.
They didn't have it in them to return to their old home, though, and now live in an estate in the nearby community of Franskraal. When they want to feel close to Dameon and Kayllé, they head to the beach at De Kelders, just on the other side of Gansbaai, where they've erected a memorial for their children.
A white angel statue towers over the succulents and rocks that make up the memorial garden, holding vigil over their memory.
"I know that God needed them more. They're now his little angels. Although we don't understand it, one day we will. When it's our time, we trust we'll see them again at Jesus' side, Odeté says.
Right now, their blessing is the baby growing inside her. It's a little girl and the couple have already chosen a name for her.
"It's Alleyahné," Odeté says. "The name is of Arabic origin and means strength." And strength is what they hope the new baby will bring them.
Denne historien er fra 11 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 11 August 2022-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life