'I sat with my cousin before doctor's turned her life support off at 13 - I'm still grieving 20 years later'
30.12.2023 - 21:13
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A social media influencer who sat with her cousin before doctor's turned her life support off when she was just 13-years-old wants to raise awareness of the serious illness that took her life.
Casey Major-Bunce, now 32, lost her cousin Liz Major to Meningitis when they were teenagers. As kids, the pair, who were 'like sisters', were inseparable, sharing everything from birthday parties and sleepovers to a love of boy bands, the Mirror reports.
Casey, who is now an influencer with over 420,000 followers on her @majormumhacks instagram account, wants to use her platform to raise awareness about the risks of the illness 20 years on from her cousin's heartbreaking death.
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The mum-of-four, from Portsmouth, said: “To me, Liz was more like a sister. We used to always have the same birthday and Christmas presents, and our mums would always dress us the same. We were so close we did everything together, sleep overs, days out, we went to watch Adam Rickitt and A1 together. I remember we would take turns singing to each other. One would have a bath and the other would sit on the floor and we would practise new songs together and teach each other the words, we loved each other like sisters.”
Then, when she was 13, Casey's mum gave her the devastating news that Liz was poorly. “It was a really hot day in May and my mum took me to buy a paddling pool," Casey recalled. "I remember saying when Liz gets better she can come round and play in the pool but when we got home my dad was crying on the sofa."
She said her dad told her that Liz was likely to die. "I pushed my dad away, I felt like I