My daughter's beautiful life lived to the full and ended far too early

Katrina came to the United States with us, in 1994, aged 11. She went to school here. It was difficult at first as she was very lonely. She had attended a Gaelscoil [Irish speaking school] in Cork prior to this.

We all stayed even though we were so lonely for Ireland. Katrina worked so hard and was loved by so many people. She was ill in April 2014 and she ended up in ICU in Rhode Island for five or six days.

She had instructions to follow up with Endocrinology, GI and, I believe, Cardiology. I spoke with her and Skyped her many times and insisted she call the recommended specialists to make an appointment.

Unfortunately, the first question she was asked was “What insurance do you have?” Katrina worked in the hospitality industry and did not have any health insurance.

I now know that the Irish Pastoral Centre in Boston helps emigrants with various problems, including not having health coverage. Katrina didn't know that.

I would like to let other emigrants know this and if people wish to, they can make a donation in her name to The Irish Pastoral Centre, 15 Rita Road, Dorchester, MA 02124.

We miss her so much we want to do something good in her name.

My computer gave up in early November so we weren’t able to Skype, but as I was coming to the US to spend Christmas and New Year with Katrina and her brother I decided to wait to get it fixed or get a new one. I use a Mac and Katrina said she would take me to the Apple store in Providence Mall. Our correspondence was then by phone and WhatsApp. Everything seemed fine.

I had booked to arrive in to Boston on December 4 and she said she would be around to pick me up for sure as she always did. I had spoken to her about trying to get on Obamacare when I arrived or otherwise she could come back home to Ireland and we could get her health taken care of. I knew there had to be some severe underlying problem that had caused her to be in ICU for such a long period of time.

Of course she was 31 and invincible and said I was being dramatic.

When neither her brother, sister nor I had heard from her for Thanksgiving we knew something must be wrong, but nothing could have prepared us for the awful news that no parent should ever hear. Katrina was found dead in her apartment on November 28. We will not have the results of autopsy for up to three months.

We waked her in Boston and took her home to be laid to rest with her Granny (my mother) in beautiful Connemara, County Galway. She had a very strong faith and always put such a lot of faith in her Granny in times of strife.

The journey to Logan Airport that evening after the wake at the Boston funeral home and the Aer Lingus flight with our baby were heartbreaking. We arrived at Shannon Airport at 5.30am and our local undertaker met us there. All my brothers and close family were there. We then all drove after the hearse for around 150 miles to my brother's house in Connemara. On the way out through the mountains and lakes to his house we saw two double rainbows; I had never seen that before.

We lay Katrina in his front living room for her wake. That house was my home place and it is fairly a rural area, but we could not believe all the people who came from all around. Hundreds of people passed through the house that night.

The priests came and we said the Rosary and next morning the priests came again. We had two priests as Fr. Joe, a local man who was a missionary priest for many years, happened to be in the area for a while. I asked him the night of her wake as we both stood by her coffin, "WHY, why did God take her? I would have gladly gone in her place."

I'll never forget his words. He put his arm around me and said "Ah, you'll probably go with the old people, God needed someone young, there are no old angels."

She was certainly a better person than I. She often brought food from the restaurant down to the homeless shelter after she finished work at maybe 3am. I worried about her going there at that late hour. I once said, "Can you not do it next day?" She got mad at me and said, "The food would not be fresh then. Just because they are homeless they not going to eat old food."

She would be the first one to say, "Stop Mom, you're making me sound like a saint," if she could see what I've written. She didn't smoke and went to the gym, but she loved the craic and loved to drink a Guinness and Magners. She did Irish dancing and played the fiddle when she was young. She loved life.

The Mass was really beautiful. Her sister Lisa and brother Robert both spoke. I honestly don't know how they did it. I kept praying that they would not totally break down. They were tearful but did a lovely job.

They got a standing applause after. Fr. Ronnie spoke to me and the family. He said that there is a name for someone who loses their wife or husband and for someone who loses their parents, but there is no name for someone who loses a child. I don't recall ever hearing that before.

We had local traditional musicians play and sing. They played a lot beautiful traditional airs and they sang "The Water is Wide" and "The Boston Rose" and the final one was "Dreams of Home." Her brother Robbie and her uncles and her first cousins carried her coffin. We don't have professional grave diggers where I come from. Local men dig the grave and they prepared my baby's grave so beautifully. They lined it all with greenery and ivy and my uncles and Robbie lowered her into it.

Then all the family members were given a shovel of dirt to drop on the coffin as well as white and yellow roses. Then all local men take turns covering the coffin. The graveyard overlooks the Atlantic.

I’m back in Rhode Island until end of January. Hopefully we will have the results of the autopsy by then. I don’t know if it will make me feel any different when we get the results and I know it won’t bring her back or mend our broken hearts. We are totally devastated and finding it so hard to think of life without her beautiful smile and wicked sense of humor.

I wish I could do something in her name to help others. She was such a giving person. My only bit of comfort now is that she is with her Granny and I know she will take care of her.

Smash and grab caught on camera. Have you been a victim?

Malawi: Police in Salima Arrest Woman for Selling Her Own Child

Police in Salima have arrested a 23-year-old Mirriam Kapindira for allegedly intending to sell her 3-year-old biological daughter to unknown Lilongwe business lady.

Police spokesperson for Salima, sergeant Gift Chitowe, said on January 15, police received a tip that the two were negotiating on the illegal business at Kamuzu Road Trading Centre.

"Following the tip, we only found the seller who managed to pocket part of payment of K100 000 from the agreed K200 000 but the buyer managed to escape an arrest.

Madiba estate executors meet over Winnie's Qunu bid

The executors of Nelson Mandela’s estate will on Thursday meet to discuss Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s request for control of his family home in Qunu.

Madikizela-Mandela made legal representation to the executors in a lawyer’s letter - written on Mandela’s birthday – in which she claimed rightful ownership of the homestead for herself and her daughters Zindzi and Zenani Mandela.

She followed it up with a second letter asking for urgency on the matter, claiming concern for starving cattle on the Eastern Cape property.

Madiba’s estate executors – Judge President Themba Sangoni, Deputy Judge President Dikgang Moseneke and lawyer George Bizos – will on Thursday meet to discuss Madikizela-Mandela’s bid for Qunu.

Madikizela-Mandela’s lawyer Mvuso Notyesi, who has said Madikizela-Mandela’s claim was "not an attack on his will but an assertion of customary and traditional rights", said they would await clarity from the executors.

Madikizela-Mandela, in her appeal, claims: “During 1989, when the late Mr Mandela was still in prison, Mrs Winnie Mandela sought and obtained a residential site in the Qunu Communal Land, from the Chiefs and King of the AbaThembu.

“And upon Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 the home became the house of Mr Nelson Mandela, Mrs Madikizela-Mandela and their children. Customarily, the property and the house became the house of Mrs Madikiizela as the second wife to the late Mr Nelson Mandela.”

Madikizela-Mandela argues that custom dictates that the property should go to her, the daughters she had with Mandela and their descendants. The couple was married for 38 years before their divorce which saw them reach an out-of-court settlement.

But Madikizela-Mandela’s request may be seen as being out of line with what Mandela wanted. She was not mentioned anywhere in his will.

The will clearly stated that the Qunu property was to become part of the NRM Family Trust for the benefit of “the Mandela family and my third wife and her two children” and that it be used to “preserve the unity of the Mandela family”.

Mandela has been buried at the Qunu homestead.

The powerful Gupta family rolls out the red carpet for wedding guests at Waterkloof Air Force Base

President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday denied claims by SA National Defence Force officials that he was involved in the "Guptagate" scandal.

"No, I have no prior knowledge, involvement or communication relating to the landing of a private plane at AFB [Air Force Base] Waterkloof," he said while answering questions in the National Assembly.

"The president is neither directly or indirectly involved in the authorisation of civilian aircraft landing at airports such as AFB Waterkloof."

However, opposition party MPs, including Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, pressed the president for more answers.

"Mr Speaker, a senior official in the SANDF stated under oath that a call was received from Mr Bruce Koloane informing her the president wanted to know and I quote 'if everything is still on track for the flight'," Mazibuko said.

"If the answer is that he did not know about the landing, can the president explain to this House how it could possibly be the case in light of the fact that the landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base included three fixed-wing aircraft, seven helicopters, 88 vehicles and 490 personnel, 194 of whom were employees of the state?" she asked.

Zuma said it was not his duty to know who landed at the country's airports.

"There are so many that land... why should the president know about these numbers? I have given the answer. I had no knowledge. I know nothing about it," Zuma said.

"I can't answer on behalf of an official in some military tribunal, that's not my business," he said.

Two SANDF officials have testified at a military tribunal that Koloane, former chief of state protocol, had indicated to them that Zuma was behind the irregular landing of the plane.

The chartered commercial aircraft, Jet Airways flight JAI 9900 from India, ferrying more than 200 guests for the wedding of Vega Gupta, 23, and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia, landed at the base in April.

The passengers were then transported, either by light aircraft, helicopter, or in police-escorted vehicles, to attend the lavish ceremony at Sun City's Palace of the Lost City in North West.

The landing sparked widespread criticism and several investigations were launched.

A government investigation exonerated Zuma and his ministers, and found that the landing was the result of collusion and name dropping by officials.

DA MP David Maynier said the real issue was Zuma's relationship with the Gupta family.

Happy New Year 2015.

I wish my family, friends, relatives & fans a Happy New Year 2015. Let it be a season of supernatural accomplishments for all of you!!.