NOW IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US

He made a promise to his wife to be the best dad to their little girl and he's determined to keep that vow, despite his overwhelming heartbreak

- BY JACQUES MYBURGH PICTURES: ONKGOPOTSE KOLOTI

THE little girl twists and twirls as she dances enthusiastically to a song playing on the TV.

Marco Muller watches his daughter from the couch, doing his best to smile – but masking his heartbreak is almost impossible.

“How am I going to do this?” he asks. “How am I going to be both mom and dad to our little girl?”

He swipes his knuckles over his eyes. “Broken or alone isn't the right word. I feel dead inside. I don't feel human, but I must be strong for my daughter.

“She needs me now.”

The past three years have been an emotional roller coaster for this 30-year-old dad from Springs in Gauteng. On the one hand, there's the miracle birth of his energetic three-year-old, Marné, and on the other, the pain of her mom Niké's recent death at 27.

YOU first met the Mullers after Niké had to undergo an emergency Caesarean due to complications that arose during pregnancy (3 November 2022). Marné was born at 28 weeks and weighed just 630g, barely more than a bag of sugar. Things were touch and go for a while – she spent more than seven months in the neonatal intensive care unit before she was pronounced strong enough to go home.

For the next two years, the couple watched in delight as Marné grew into a lively, bubbly toddler. They couldn't have hoped for a better outcome and were beyond grateful for her presence in their lives.

But then came the sucker punch – Niké was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. For a while, though, things looked good. “We were optimistic,” Marco says. “Her cancer markers kept going down and she was due to have her second-last round of chemotherapy.”

But Niké's body could no longer fight and suddenly the woman Marco had been through so much with was gone.