A mother who lost her daughter to suicide more than a decade ago says people should never ignore the warning signs.
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The 73-year-old Marie Burger from the West Rand said the death of her daughter nearly 11 years ago haunts her every day.
Burger was at work when her husband phoned her to come home immediately because their daughter, in her 30s, had committed suicide.
“It felt like the world stopped turning,” she said.
Warning signs should never be ignored
Burger said her daughter told her a few times that she was planning on taking her own life.
“She only succeeded the third time…”
Burger said you should never ignore the warning signs.
“Don’t assume they say it to get attention, especially if you know the person. I know I did everything in my power to help her. Because we were so close, she told me she was definitely going to kill herself, and I knew it would happen. I felt it coming.”
‘You never get over it’
Burger said the second time her daughter attempted suicide, she thought it was the end.
“The third time, she made sure I wasn’t at home to stop her. They were busy gardening when she told her father she was going to lie down because the sun was getting too hot. He didn’t think much of it and continued gardening.
“We were used to her taking a nap during the day, so he didn’t think anything funny of it at first until he went into the house and realised that something was wrong.”
Burger said they are reminded of her death every day when they look at her photos on the walls.
“I know it’s a cliché, but you learn to live with the pain. You never get over it. If it wasn’t for God, we would have never found peace,” Burger added.
