Angel Yolande Van Der Linde

It is with such a sore heart i let you know that our dear friend Yolande, has gone home to be with her Heavenly Father and son.

Yolande made such a difference in our lives - i remember the first time we met her. Mark and I were feeling so desperate and so lost, so angry , sitting in icu after Deqlans 1st blockage. Yolande came in there with a smile on her face and the words THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. And these are the words that she used every single time she saw us, these words will always remain with me, i know she was right.

I was shocked to her that she was a mommy herself that lost her son to nephroblastoma at the age of 2. And through all the heartache and devastation she was determined to help others.

I remember her carrying our bags to the car from Kloof hospital when we left to start our second round of chemo. Even though Deqlans eye was so so bad, she told us about little Charlize whose eye was worse and was so much better and that Deqlans eye would heal to.

She was delighted at all the CHOC projects we started - meeting her in the parking lot , handing over balloons and bubbles for the kids. We were shocked to hear that her little daughter of 2 years was diagnosed to also have nephroblastoma. She had an operation to remove the tumor and thank The Lord still remains clean today. ..Meeting her to hand over Christmas presents.

I remember she was actually on the way to my house to fetch a tumble dryer we had donated to the CHOC house when she got the first sign that something was wrong - it felt like something had burst and she just started bleeding - we were shocked beyond belief to find out she had cancer of the uterus. Yolande endured many many chemo sessions, a hysterectomy, hours away from her family.

Only weeks after finishing chemo and being declared NED, she came with me to Kalefong hospital to hand over all the pjamas to the kids for our snug as a bug project - she never ever moaned about anything. We were so hopeful that she had beat the beast and again flawed when a regular scan picked up that the cancer had spread to her lungs and there was nothing that could be done. Still Yolande soldiered on - feeling great on some days and not so great on others.

But still she continued to do the amazing work for CHOC, still she continued to smile. I will always remember the past CHOC party i stood chatting to her, as we watched Miluska jump on the jumping castle - the pride for her daughters just beamed, the love she had for life was so clear - the passion she had to help others, an absolute blessing. Yolande, we are going to miss you terribly and we are so blessed that you touched our lives more then you will know, we pray you are pain free and that Frankus welcomed you home to be with Jesus.

Dear Friends, please pray for Yolandes husband, daughter Miluska and 13 year old daughter who now face the days and years without their beloved wife and mommy and friend.

We love you, God Bless
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan