T

HEREwasalwayshopeher

daughterwouldleavehos-

pitalalive– thatshe’dre -

turnhomewiththebrand-

newlungsshe’dfoughtso

hardforandstarta lifefree

ofsuffering.

Oneofthefirstthings

JennaLowewantedtodowastowritea

bookaboutherbattlewiththelungdis-

easepulmonaryhypertension,herfight

togettheorganssheneeded,andthejoy

andreliefwhenshefoundouta donor

hadbeenfound.

Insteadit’shermom,GabiLowe,who’s

writtena book.Jennanevermadeit out

ofhospital.Shepassedawayjustfour

monthsshyofher21stbirthday– a trag-

edymadeallthemorepoignantasshe’d

capturedheartsacrossthecountrywith

herGetMeto 21 campaign.

Jenna’scampaignencouragedSouth

Africanstobecomeorgandonorsandif

shemadeit toher21stbirthday,every-

onewhodonatedaspartofherdrivewas

invitedtoherparty.

Alas,there’dbenoparty– butthanks

tohermom,there’snowa book.Gabihas

titledit GetMeto 21 andit’sa labourof

loveshewasdeterminedtocomplete

afterJennadiedofcomplicationsfollow-

ingherdoublelungtransplant.

J E N N A’S

LAST DAYS

GabiLowehas

written anunflinching

accountofher

daughter’sheroic

struggle forlife

BYLESEGOMAJA

PICTURES:ONKGOPOTSEKOLOTI

“Ireallywantedto write it for her, to

honourherlegacy,” the 55-year-old life

coachsays.

“Andthen,ofcourse, when I started

I realisedI can’twrite it for her. I’m not

her.ButI canwriteher story through my

l e n s .”

WhileJenna’sjourney may be familiar

tomany,whattheyknow is just the tip of

theiceberg,Gabisays. The book goes

intobrutaldetailof what Jenna and her

familywentthrough.

“Thisisthewhole story, warts and all.

I’vebeenveryhonest and that felt impor-

tanttome,becausethere’s so much to be

learntfromwhatwe went through.”

The book describes the 187 days lead-

ing up to Jenna’s death and more– how

the family scrambled to get her to Johan-

nesburg from their home in Cape Town

after the donor was found, to the mo-

ment she took her last breath.

W

E MEET Gabi at the Park-

wood Hotel in Johannes-

burg, where she’s on a

promotional tour for her

book. The hotel is owned

by friends of the Lowes

and it’s where Gabi, husband Stuart (57)

and younger daughter Kristi (now 21)

stayed for a few weeks when Jenna was

ABOVE: Gabi

Lowe witnessed

her daughter

Jenna’s battle

with lung dis-

ease. RIGHT:

She wrote about

Jenna’s journey

in her new book.

12 | 22 AUGUST 2019 you.co.za