I MISS HER SO MUCH
YOU South Africa|22 June 2023
When loadshedding meant they couldn't look after their little girl, they rushed her to hospital but it was too late 
LESEGO SEOKWANG
I MISS HER SO MUCH

SHE’LL never forget the first time she held her baby girl in her arms – a tiny human for her to love and nurture, no matter the challenges that lay ahead. 

But another memory will stay with Sunera James for the rest of her life too: a haunting one of her daughter clinging to her as she took her last breath. 

Sunera’s three-year-old daughter, Neyamiah Eaton, had WWOX syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes severe neurodevelopmental delays.

A few days before her death last month, she contracted a viral infection and needed an oxygen concentrator to help her breathe.

Sunera (37) and her husband, Curwyn Eaton (45), live in Bromhof in Joburg, which often had unscheduled and extended bouts of loadshedding.

On that fateful day in May, a blackout prevented Surena and Curwyn from charging their back-up power supply to run the concentrator and their back-up oxygen tank was almost empty. 

They rushed their daughter to hospital, but it was too late. 

The little girl isn’t the first and won’t be the last life to be lost due to the domino effect of loadshedding, but her name has become a heartbreaking reminder of the tragic impact of SA’s ongoing power crisis. 

Here Sunera shares her heartrending story, and opens up about how she’s coping with her painful loss.

I DON’T know what to say to people who ask how I’m coping. It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling. It feels like torture. I imagine this is what hell must feel like because there’s no cure for my pain. It hurts so much.

Denne historien er fra 22 June 2023-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.

Denne historien er fra 22 June 2023-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.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA YOU SOUTH AFRICASe alt
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

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

time-read
10+ mins  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 mins  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

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

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 mins  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

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

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'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

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

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

time-read
8 mins  |
5 September 2024