Daily Sun (January 7 2015) - THULANI KNEW he was dying, but he had a burning desire to get his matric.
In a desperate struggle with destiny, he wrote the exams from his hospital bed.
BUT HE'LL NEVER KNOW HE ACHIEVED HIS DREAM.
Five days after Thulani Bukhali (18) died, his mother, Nelly Bukhali (41) heard that her son's efforts were not in vain.
In spite of the terrible pain he suffered from cancer that attacked his entire body, he had passed matric.
Thulani died on 31 December at his home in Ivory Park, Ekurhuleni.
Nelly first learned of Thulani's fatal disease in August 2013 when she took him to the doctor after he complained about body pains.
He went through chemotherapy and radiation but the treatment was unsuccessful.
"The doctors gave up.
"They said there was nothing they could do for him," said the heartbroken mother.
But that didn't stop Thulani from working on his dream.
"He wanted to be a DJ. He loved playing music and he was very good at it," Nelly said.
Just two weeks before he died, famous DJ Kent visited Thulani in hospital.
"Kent gave him a DJ system.
"He said when Thulani was better he would arrange some gigs for him," said Nelly.
"That meant everything to him, it gave him hope."
Nelly said she feels like she has lost a best friend.
"I used to come home from work in the evenings to find that my son had cleaned the house and cooked dinner as well," said Nelly, a single mum of two.
She said when she wasn't at home, Thulani also took care of his little sister, Siphesihle (6).
His last words to his mum were: "Please don't blame God for any of this, forgive and find peace for this is His will."
Nelly said: "After that he left us, but I will treasure those words forever.
"I must be strong for the sake of my daughter."
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Issued through the Politicsweb iService
