Chen\u00e9 died on April 20 (GCN, May 1) after the sliding gate at Slimkoppe Aftercare Centre in Sunnyridge fell on her.<\/p>\n
The lively Laerskool Oosterkruin Grade One pupil was a ray of sunshine in her parents, Claudia and Carl Pretorius\u2019 lives.<\/p>
Now her parents are left searching for answers as to exactly what happened that day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have heard so many different stories, we don\u2019t know what to believe,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n
Claudia added that if the school would just come forward and tell them the truth as to what had happened that day they would at least be able to get some sort of closure.<\/p>\n
Even though Carl visited the aftercare centre to speak to the principal, Chen\u00e9\u2019s parents are still no closer to finding any answers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got there, I noticed two young girls playing near the gate, and there were no teachers around to supervise them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to go inside to find teachers.\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we enrolled her in the aftercare centre at the beginning of the year, things seemed fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always came home with her homework done and we hadn\u2019t experienced any problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claudia told the GCN how Chen\u00e9 would write her a love letter every day.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe would call me and say there was a surprise for me on my pillow and I would go and look, and find a letter from her,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had a great love for music, dance, poems and drawing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen\u00e9 was doing well in her first year of school, and the Friday before she died she was so pleased as she had been awarded six stars and was allowed to wear civvies to school.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time she got a star she would say that daddy owed her a special treat and Carl would get her an ice-cream,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n
Chen\u00e9\u2019s step-granny Charleen Wildman told the GCN how Chen\u00e9 was so good at doing her own hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have never seen a child that young be able to do her hair with such skill,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The youngster loved to be independent and liked doing things for herself.<\/p>\n
She was very popular among her peers and had lots of friends.<\/p>\n
Chen\u00e9 loved animals, especially her hamster Pipsqueak.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was always hugging people and was very friendly,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n
The night before Chen\u00e9 died, Claudia said they enjoyed a very special evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the Sunday night, my husband Werner blow-dried our hair for us and then Chen\u00e9 put cream on me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said \u2018Mommy, this is lekker family time\u2019 and then she went on to eat all her dinner, even asking for carrots which she doesn\u2019t like,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe normally just picks at her food, but that night she really enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
After dinner, mom and daughter snuggled up and watched a movie together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I put her in bed and kissed her goodnight on the cheek, she asked me to kiss her again.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe then asked that every time I walked past her room that evening would I come and kiss her,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI eventually went and fetched her and put her in my bed, and we snuggled up the whole night.\u201d<\/p>\n Now Claudia and Carl have to face the reality that they will never be able to hug their daughter again.<\/p>\n Claudia said that she will start writing letters to her child and put them in her room, as well as speak and sing to her to help her come to terms with her grief.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the accident happened, the aftercare centre called and said I should go straight to Life Roseacres Clinic.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that point I could just feel that my child was gone,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n The distraught mother at first couldn’t even remember how to get to the hospital even though she lives nearby in Primrose.<\/p>\n She eventually had to stop and ask someone for directions.<\/p>\n \u201cMy baby was just lying there, so hurt, that I couldn’t even hold her,\u201d sobbed Claudia.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I could do was kiss her.<\/p>\n \u201cI kissed her feet and her tummy and her lips, but I was too late.\u201d<\/p>\n Carl and Claudia said that Laerskool Oosterkruin has been incredibly supportive of them, especially Chen\u00e9\u2019s teacher.<\/p>\n \u201cThey even put a teddy bear on her chair and all her classmates wrote us letters,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n A case has been opened with the Primrose police and Sgt Styles Maome, the communications officer at the station, told the GCN that the matter is currently under investigation.<\/p>\n The GCN also made contact with the aftercare centre, but the principal refused to comment.<\/p>\n Claudia and Werner said that they have been contacted by a company, and in partnership with them, the company is going to set up a safety awareness programme called Project Chen\u00e9, which will focus on safety issues, like sliding gates at homes and schools.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important that parents are made aware of these safety issues to help prevent more accidents of this nature,\u201d Claudia said.<\/p>\n Little Chen\u00e9 was laid to rest last Friday in the Brakpan Cemetery, the town in which her father Carl lives.<\/p>\n Related articles:<\/p>\n Gate kills Laerskool Oosterkruin Grade One pupil<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Claudia](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2015\/04\/18GCNGENERALCHENMH_609587838.jpg\")
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