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| Please sign our guestbook so we know you stopped by! Thanks |
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| You are listening to 'My Heart Will Go On' |
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| A special thanks to following people My family and friends for there support and love Two wonderful doctors for always being there and their honesty Dr Jansen Van Rensburg and Dr Ferdie Pohl. To our minister Peter Holness, Stuart Cranna, and everyone at First City Baptist church. The staff at St Dominics and Red Cross Hospital. And a special thanks to Laura from Heavenly lights for helping me with Mitchell"s site. We are encouraged to know that our God goes with us and he will never leave nor forsake us. We praise his name Almighty God, that we can face the future with courage because his Spirit dwells in us. God Bless.... |
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| This letter Dean wrote for the newsletter of Compassionate Friends in June 1999. Dear friends and siblings As a parent...I never thought that I would be writting this letter. On the 21 January 1999 we got the shock of our lives when our son Mitchell died. After a week-end in October 1998 his fluctuating temperature drove us to and from the doctor but we were told it was just a bad viral infection. The Monday morning 26 October 1998 the doctors diagnosed Mitch's leukemia. Strange as sounds he had the good one(ALL). We were very grateful. We never thought he would die from it. We were shocked when he picked up a virus in January 1999 and a week later our beautiful son was gone. Such a brave little boy through it all, taking it like a man......the injections, the pills... he would even tell the nurses what veins to use for the chemo. A week after he died he'd have turned 8.... a day that we can't remember as we still lived in this daze of " it's not true! Its not happening to us." The numbness wore off. Reality set in. And then came the true pain..... my son is not here. The tears just started flowing. I never knew I could cry so much. I'd been hiding my feelings trying to be brave. I'd been trying to go around the grief. This has hit me so hard. I know you understand. I was in a bad way, put off work for 7 weeks and hospitalized. I've now learned that you can't go around the grief, you have to go through it. You can't deny your feelings no matter how hard you try. My son was and still is part of my life. During his short illness we were not allowed to cry in front of him but close to the end he was put on oxygen(we still didn't believe he was going to die) and Sanet started crying. Mitch asked her why she was crying and she replied that she'd hurt her toe. " Don't cry, mommy," Mitch said, " the pain will be over soon." For him, the pain is over, but ours continues. His last words to us as we stood at his bedside were, " Mommy, daddy I love you, I'll see you now, now" What a glorious moment that will be. A very sad thing is my garage is always clean now and my tools are where I put them last. When I was looking for a tool I could just go to Mitch's room and find it in his cupboard. He loved taking things apart, especially his cars, and hammering them together again. We just hope that God has a back-up computer system as Mitch loved reprogramming computers. This was my last Fathers day poem from my son (he wrote it ) My Super Duper Dad My dad likes to build cars My dad loves biltong I love my dad. He is funny when he tickles me. I love my dad. He is the best in the world. To all Fathers: Work through the pain and not around it. I know there is still a long road before me but through the help of God and The Compassionate Friends I will make it. May God Bless you all.... Dean Nienaber |
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| WHEN IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND by Edgar Guest I"ll Lend you for a while a child of mine, he said For you to love while he lives, and mourn for when he's dead. It may be six or seven years or twenty-two or three, but will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me? He"ll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief, you"ll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth must return, but there are lessons to be taught down there I want your child to learn. I've looked the whole world over in search for teachers true, and from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you. Now will you give him all your love, not think the labor vain, nor hate me when I come to call him back again. ( I fancied that I heard them say " Dear Lord, thy will be done Today!") For all the joy, thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we"ll run, we"ll shelter him with tenderness, we"ll love him while we may. And for all the happiness we've known, for ever gratefull stay. But should the angels call him much sooner than we've planned, we'll bear the bitter grief that comes, and TRY TO UNDERSTAND |
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| OBITUARIES MITCHELL-HORNE NIENABER It is with deep regret and great sadness that we have had to say goodbye to Mitchell who passed away on the 21 January 1999. From the start, Mitchell showed us the zest and enthusiasm he had for all his school activities, both in the classroom and on the sportsfield, He made it very clear that his " great love" was for his school and friends. Despite the deterioration in his health and many visits to the hospital, he still insisted on coming to school even if it was just for an hour. He showed great courage and determination throughout his illness- always behaving in a positive and cheerful way. All these fine qualities made Mitchell the type of pupil that Stirling strives to produce. We will indeed miss one of our fine young sons and our sympathy and love go out to his family. |
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| Mitchell's teacher, Mrs. L Hill, wrote this for the year book at school...next to this letter was his school photo. Memories grow more precious still when loved ones have to part, And remain forever blooming in the gardens of the heart. Author Unknown |
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| The eternal flame will burn in memory of my Angel forever! |
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