THE house is bright and inviting, filled with light and splashes of colour and the laughter of children. There are family pictures on the walls, just as there are in many family homes and, like most family photos, they tell a story.
And there's plenty going on behind these pictures. The mom smiling as she poses with her three little girls has been through so much - loss, illness, trauma, upheaval.
Her youngest child isn't here anymore. Gone too are the long gleaming locks she used to take such pride in. There are also no pictures of the children's father - the end of her marriage has now been added to the list of life-changing events.
But Verna Mulder (31) is feeling positive. She and daughters Leané (11) and Zamoné (7) moved into this house in Kempton Park recently and the new home represents a fresh beginning, she says.
Mienke, the little girl she lost three years ago, is still very much part of their family. "We keep her alive by talking about her often," Verna says. "I don't want my daughters to say one day when they're older that they didn't know they had a sister."
The tragic story of Mienke is well known: she was seven months old when she choked on milk at her daycare centre six years ago and suffered brain damage as a result of oxygen deprivation.
She lived for three years and the family clung to hope that she might one day recover enough to live a full life - but the little girl had many infections and complications and her heartbroken family said their final farewell to their beautiful daughter and sister in October 2020.
Since then Verna has been diagnosed with breast cancer and she and Ryno, the children's father, have split up.
"There were many factors that contributed to the divorce," she says.
She doesn't want to elaborate too much because it's a private matter, but she believes it's for the best.
Denne historien er fra 30 November 2023-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra 30 November 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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
ONE OF A KIND
She survived a violent stepfather and being raped by a bandmate as well as rampant showbiz sexism. Now as singer Cyndi Lauper heads off on her farewell tour aged 71, she just wants to have fun
TRUE TO HIS ROOTS
Rap icon Kendrick Lamar's recent Grammy haul has cemented his status as the king of hip-hop
RYAN'S ON A ROLLI
Ryan Rickelton has taken the cricket scene by storm, announcing himself as a force to be reckoned with
PARALYMPICS, HERE I COME!
He lost his left leg as a baby, but these days Nicklaas is a star on the athletics field and he's got big dreams
KEKE'S KICKING IT!
From child star to Hollywood powerhouse - Keke Palmer shines as an actress, podcast host and film producer
NEXT CHAPTER LOADING
Werner Wessels, the creative force behind many Miss SA winners, is stepping away from pageants to embrace new opportunities
BABY SHAME GAME
Lily Collins got a lot more than she bargained for when she announced she'd become a mom via a surrogate
BRIDGET'S BACK!
Renée Zellweger returns for the fourth and possibly final outing of Helen Fielding's ditsy cult heroine, a role she has relished from day one
I CAN BREATHE AGAIN'
After months of legal hell, two aneurysms and brain surgery, Alison Botha is relieved that her attackers are back behind bars and she can focus on getting better
SA IN TRUMP'S SIGHTS
With Elon Musk whispering in his ear the US president has unleashed his wrath on South Africa. But how worried should we be?
