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First there was her young niece who died of cancer.
Then the unthinkable – her own daughter, who desperately hoped she’d keep her severe lung disease at bay long enough to see her 21st birthday, lost her battle before she could celebrate the milestone.
And now cancer has claimed the life of another loved one – this time her husband.
Gabi Lowe’s ultimately heartbreaking journey with her daughter, Jenna, has been well-documented.
Jenna was 17 in 2012 when she was told she had pulmonary hypertension and needed a lung transplant and her mom started a campaign that would captivate the country.
Jenna’s cousin, 13-year-old Natalie Cohen, had recently died from a rare type of spinal cancer and Jenna decided she was going to defy doctors’ grim predictions.
Her social media campaign, Get Me To 21, aimed to raise awareness about organ donation.
It seemed Jenna’s dream would come true when a suitable donor was found – but she died just four months before she would have turned 21.
And now, nearly ten years after Jenna’s death from complications following her double lung transplant, Gabi (60) is dealing with the pain of losing her 62-year-old husband, Stuart.
He died on 28 October, the day their daughter would have celebrated her 30th birthday.
Stuart, who worked in publishing and consumer research, revealed the news of his bone marrow cancer to Gabi six months after Jenna’s death in June 2015.
Although he’d known about it for three months, he kept it a secret because the family was struggling so desperately with Jenna’s illness.
“I was initially angry at him for that,” Gabi says.
“I could have been there for him too but he wanted to protect us. It was the highest form of love.”
Now Stuart is gone too and Gabi must spend the festive season with just her memories.
Denne historien er fra 19 December 2024-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra 19 December 2024-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
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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
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TRUE TO HIS ROOTS
Rap icon Kendrick Lamar's recent Grammy haul has cemented his status as the king of hip-hop
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RYAN'S ON A ROLLI
Ryan Rickelton has taken the cricket scene by storm, announcing himself as a force to be reckoned with
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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
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KEKE'S KICKING IT!
From child star to Hollywood powerhouse - Keke Palmer shines as an actress, podcast host and film producer
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NEXT CHAPTER LOADING
Werner Wessels, the creative force behind many Miss SA winners, is stepping away from pageants to embrace new opportunities
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BABY SHAME GAME
Lily Collins got a lot more than she bargained for when she announced she'd become a mom via a surrogate
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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
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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
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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?