It is with a heavy heart to share the news that Mandi has passed away. She died peacefully on Saturday 7 September surrounded by her family and partner Gerry. To use Gerry's words, "She has now begun her next creative chapter, crafting her heavenly art alongside the angels". Rest in peace beautiful Mandi
These words are hard to write as Mandi is having a very rough time. She has not been responding to the MS drugs as we had hoped but we are not giving up hope. We are blessed by the amazing care she is receiving in Christchurch and one positive is the beautiful view from her room where she can look out to the Southern Alps. Her condition remains the same which is extremely tough on her physical and mental health, while we continue to surround Mandi with love. We really appreciate your support to date and would love it if you could please share the Givealittle link far and wide. It would really help. Many thanks in advance.
Last week a friend recommended a book - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby, which I couldn't put down. Bauby, 43, had a stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome, in which the mental faculties (like Mandi's) remain intact but most of the body is paralysed. In Bauby's case (like Mandi's), his mouth, arms, and legs were paralysed.
Before his stroke, Bauby had signed a contract to write a book. Bauby was able to communicate by blinking his left eye so his speech therapist arranged a 26-letter alphabet and he dictated this book blinking. He memorised the lines he wrote, over and over, refining them before dictating. It is beautifully written as well as insightful into life with locked in syndrome and how it means the world to him when he hears from family and friends. "A letter from a friend, a Balthus painting on a postcard, give meaning to the passing hours."
I thoroughly recommend the book which I downloaded on my Kindle for not much cost. For anyone who would like to keep in touch with Mandi and send her a messages, letters, artwork or anything, please email me at carolyn.enting@gmail.com and I'll let you know how to do that.
It would also be amazing if you could please share the Givealittle link as donations have really slowed and we need help spreading the word. Thank you so much in advance.
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to date. It's wonderful to have your support and receive your messages. It means the world to us.
Mandi is a fighter and next step is rehab. Despite things feeling really bleak the physio has some positive things to say, so we're taking that.
Sharing this lovely photo of Mandi and Gerry taken last year when they visited us in Auckland.
