BOTH her sons were supposed to see Taryn Thompson victoriously cross the stage to receive her diploma after facing many hardships, but her eldest’s empty chair at the graduation ceremony brought back that familiar feeling of emptiness inside. Thompson still managed to lift up her chin and be strong for the son she still has.
For Thompson, who recently graduated with her Diploma in Logistics from Nelson Mandela University, graduation was a mixture of joy, excitement and pain.
This is no surprise as the 32-year-old tragically lost her teenage son during her third year of studies, right before exams were supposed to start.
Her eldest, Raeez (14), was one of four people instantly killed in a car accident on the N2, close to Greenbushes in October 2021.
Only one person survived the head-on collision.
“That night, my whole world came crashing before my eyes. I received the call and was asked to go to the scene.
“I didn’t know at the time that my son had died, but God led me to pray for him in that moment and eventually when I left home to go to the accident scene, a family member approached me just shaking his head and I just knew,” she said.
“Something died inside of me that moment. I lost consciousness for a while. I felt my heart beat out of my chest as I was in total disbelief that my baby was gone.”
Thompson, who raised Raeez and her youngest, Razeen (10), as a single mother with the help of her father, was a teenage mother and always wanted to be an inspiration to her boys.
“I applied to study at NMU in 2017. Being a single parent was tough enough, and I wanted to be an example to my boys that anything was possible if you set your mind to it.”
Although a few setbacks prevented her from getting into the under-graduate programme, she opted for a bridging course before being accepted for part-time study in 2019, whilst working at, and receiving a bursary from Aspen Pharmacare.
“I started this new journey juggling work, kids, house chores and studies all at once but was so excited to have my boys witness me walk on that stage as a proud mom.”
Thompson explained that things were looking up for them and she had just become a new homeowner in August 2021, close enough for Raeez to walk to school and for the boys to be comfortable, when only two months later tragedy struck.
“That night, it felt like I died just there in that moment of disbelief. For that whole week in preparation of the funeral, my body left, my mind disappeared. I was not human anymore, but figuratively caught between life and death as I didn’t want to live anymore.
“Every moment that I think of him, I feel numb over and over, and dead inside. I didn’t want to come back to reality because it was just too painful to think. I still don’t feel complete anymore and walk in emptiness every day, but despite my immense pain, my faith in Christ Jesus is what sustains me daily.”
She said that once the funeral was over, she realised that she still had her studies to complete, and having missed a lot of work and a few assignments, she was not sure how to continue.
Then she recalled the promise that she made to her boys that she would make it no matter what.
“I recall sitting and crying doing my exams, screaming at God that I can’t do this because it is too much but my spirit refused to give up and I refused to give up on both my boys; I just couldn’t disappoint them.”
When she completed her final exams with two of her three modules being distinctions, she couldn’t believe it.
“The promise that I made to my boys is what kept me going. I still have one living son left and he needs me more than ever. I could have pushed him aside and allowed the world to swallow, as we were both grieving, but I had to push through for Razeen’s sake. My foundation in Christ is what kept me sane, because God alone knows that I would not have made it if it was not for my relationship with Him.”
As a word of encouragement to other grieving parents, Thompson said that no matter what you face in life, there will always be challenges and painful moments but you have to hope and trust in God.
“Nothing is impossible for him. If He could do it for me, He can do it for you too.”
