Naaziyah Manuel, 11, a Grade 6 pupil at Kenwyn Primary School, died last week after a six-month battle with cancer.
Naaziyah passed away on Monday July 25, at the Red Cross Children’s hospital.
Earlier this year, after being diagnosed with cancer in February, young Naaziyah was first to congratulate her grandfather, Jamiel Amien, after he finished the 50km Tour d’ Plain cycle tour, at Strandfontein pavilion.
The event, of which the Tatler’s sister publication, the Plainsman was the media partner, aimed to to raise awareness around the illness with the Sunflower Fund being its main beneficiary.
As such, Amien, his brother, Naziem and Naaziyah’s uncle Buddy Manuel, completed the 50km route to raise awareness about young children living with cancer.
Naaziyah braved the early morning chill to help serve coffee and snacks to the cyclists at the start of the race.
At the time she said: “It’s difficult to remain positive because I can’t do the one thing that I love best which is school but my parents helped me to get my confidence back.”
News of Naaziyah’s death spread like wild fire on social media.
Sulaila Abrahams posted: “I was sitting at the hospital today, and people were talking about this beautiful angel that lost her battle with cancer.”
In another post, her mother Zerina, says: “Our ‘family thing’ was having Milo every night and every night each of us had a turn to make it. We haven’t had Milo since you left us…”