Five-year-old Cliché Ockhuis fought a battle no child should ever have to face.
FLY HIGH, LITTLE CLICHÉ — YOUR FIGHT IS OVER
Five-year-old Cliché Ockhuis fought a battle no child should ever have to face.
After being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Cliché endured months of chemotherapy, hospital stays, needles, procedures and uncertainty — all while still being the happy, lively little girl her family knew and loved.
Her mother, 23-year-old Hazel Ockhuis, never stopped fighting alongside her. In the hope of saving her little girl’s life, Hazel donated her own stem cells to Cliché.
For a while, there was hope that the treatment had worked.
But heartbreakingly, the cancer returned and later spread to Cliché’s lungs.
Through it all, her mommy remained right where she had always been — by her little girl’s side.
At approximately 19:55 on Tuesday evening, Cliché took her final breath at Tygerberg Hospital.
But Cliché was so much more than cancer.
She was a happy little girl who loved to dance, loved TikTok and dreamed of one day becoming a doctor. She had dreams. She had a future she imagined. She had people who loved her beyond words.
Tonight, another family is learning how to live with an empty space that can never truly be filled.
Rest peacefully, beautiful Cliché.
No more chemotherapy.
No more hospital rooms.
No more pain.
Just rest, little fighter.
Our deepest love and condolences go out to Hazel and the entire Ockhuis family during this unimaginable loss.
Cliché was only five years old — but her little life mattered, her story matters, and she will not be forgotten.
