Cape Town - The brave mom who vowed to carry her baby to full term despite dying from cancer has lost her battle.
Anneline van Reenen, 36, crept into readers hearts when she told her story of the ultimate sacrifice she was willing to make for her unborn baby.
Her heartbreaking journey started early this year when the mom of three discovered she was pregnant with a “miracle baby”, after having been sterilised a few years ago.
But her joy was short-lived when in May, doctors found she had aggressive cancer along her spine, and she was given just a few months to live.
The Brackenfell mom was told that to survive the cancer, she would have to abort her baby to take the life-saving medication she needed.
However, a determined Anneline decided to give her first son a fighting chance by keeping him alive in her womb for as long as possible.
The baby was to be born at 27 weeks, but doctors felt Anneline was strong enough to give birth at 38 weeks and scheduled a Caesarean section in the first week of September.
She turned to prayer to help her make it to the date.
A member of her church even tried “curing” her with prayer. The woman claimed she had “laid hands” on Anneline and ripped the cancer from her body.
But her condition continued to worsen.
Then in July, tragedy struck.
The ailing mom was rushed to Louis Leipoldt Hospital in Bellville, where doctors failed to detect her baby’s heartbeat.
According to a family member, a blood clot had formed in the umbilical cord and blocked the oxygen flow to the baby, who died in the womb.
The family had named him Johantjie.
Anneline later wrote on Facebook: “Hy was perfek soos die Here hom gemaak het. (He was perfect just as God made him.)
On Wednesday, Anneline joined her little Johantjie when she sadly passed away.
Her family were tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding her passing as Anneline and her husband had signed an exclusivity contract with a media house.
On Thursday, Anneline’s devastated mother was still too traumatised to speak.
Anita Jones was in tears when the Daily Voice made contact with her.
“We can do nothing, but move on from this,” Anita explained through tears.
“There really are no words to describe what we, her family are going through.
“I don’t even want to talk about it.
Anneline’s friends and family have started a Facebook page for her called, “Gebed vir Anneline van Reenen”[Prayer for Anneline van Reene].
On Thursday the following message was posted: “To the family of a fighter. There are no words to express how sorry we, as followers of miracles, are.
“We cannot even begin to console you on the loss of such an inspiration. She was a beacon of prayer. Have faith in this difficult time.”
Daily Voice