Belgian Mother Dies of Skin Cancer After Moroccan Vacation Diagnosis

Catharina Cuomo, single mother of Yorbe, 15, and Deliah, 10, will not have reached those three weeks after all. She passed away on Tuesday, July 25, surrounded by her loved ones, reports Het Belang Van Limburg. This Belgian who was in the terminal phase of metastatic skin cancer did not blow out her 41 candles.

In 2018, while on vacation in Morocco, she was diagnosed with skin cancer. "My hairdresser noticed a spot between my hair while I was in her salon. I had it examined, then the verdict came down while I was in Morocco. I had to come back as soon as possible, it’s a melanoma and it’s very smart," she had recounted. Over the years, her condition has deteriorated: "My skin cancer had metastasized to my liver and lungs." Other vital organs were also affected.

Since then, Catharina has been preparing to say goodbye to her loved ones. Moved by her story, the community had launched a kitty to allow her children to cover the funeral expenses but also to allow them to lead a decent life, to study, etc. "Our dear friend Catharina will unfortunately not win the battle against cancer, after years of fighting this disease, fate has decided otherwise. She only has a few weeks left to live. She has always been a true fighter, we would like to raise funds to cover the costs that will certainly follow."

Two days after the launch of the kitty, 16,000 euros had been mobilized. "It’s incredible. I want to thank all those who have supported us," the single mother had declared. On Wednesday, the kitty had reached more than 28,000 euros.