Last wish of terminally ill Isa (3) from Winterswijk: I'd really like to get a postcard

WINTERSWIJK - Monique Mengers (39) from Winterswijk will do anything for her children, because that's what mothers do. Isa (3) and Suus (8) are her everything. But the youngest one is ill, and she will not get better. Isa will die.

Isa has got a malignant brain tumour. The illness revealed itself two years ago. Last year it seemed as if the little girl would beat the cancer. But all hope was lost recently.

Monique: "We've known since a month ago that Isa will not get better. It's horrible. No, we haven't told Isa. How do you tell something like that to a child of three? But she feels it."

Her big sister Suus on the other hand is aware of the illness of Isa. "Those two are hand in glove with eachother," knows mother Monique. "But Suus goes to school as usual, and if Suus doesn't want to go once in a while, she'll stay at home. We've arranged that with her school."

Monique Mengers speaks about the rollercoaster where she, her husband Edwin (45), and the girls are in, calm and without too many emotions. "I've told the story of Isa many times, that helps. But the moment we allow emotion into our lives, we can't take it any longer. We're already busy arranging the funeral of Isa. You simply can't do that if you think about it too much."

Monique realises that the time for big plans is over. "We've already celebrated Easter several weeks ago, because Isa might not have made it." But little Isa is still here, she's a fighter. And she only has one more wish. "I'd really like to get postcards and Suus as well."

The address of the family Mengers is as follows:

Family Mengers

Haitsma Mulierweg 28

7101 CA Winterswijk

The Netherlands