Claudette was shattered when her husband died

Claudette spent last Christmas by her husband’s hospital bed, praying he would wake from a coma he fell into after a heart attack. He didn’t.

Less than a month later, she was back in that same hospital, giving birth to premature twins.

“Growing up, I thought I knew what it felt like to struggle and to be in pain,” the 36-year-old said. “Then my husband died, and my world collapsed.”

She met him more than a decade ago, shortly after immigrating from the Democratic Republic of Congo with her sister. She said she felt “lonely, all the time.” When a community centre invited her to a Christmas party for newcomers from Africa, she thought she had finally found her chance to make new friends.

“I remember he was standing by the table with all the food,” she recalled. “I instantly knew that he was going to be my husband.”

Less than a year later, they were married. A son and daughter followed and things were good. He worked as an electrician and she part time as a cashier.

“Last Christmas, everything changed,” Claudette said. “I suddenly lost the love of my life and gave birth to twins who will never know their father.”

Afterward, she felt “barely alive.” She said she went days without eating and wouldn’t leave her bed. She also cut herself off emotionally, forcing her sister to take care of the four children.

Eventually, her sister convinced her to see a therapist and join a support group.

“I know that things will never be the same for my family,” she said. “But I have to show my kids that it’s possible to still find happiness in dark times.”

This begins with giving them the Christmas they never got last year. She decorated her apartment and brought her kids to several free outdoor activities.

But with her maternity leave ending, Claudette said she’s struggling to buy toys. She is one of the thousands who will receive a $125 cheque from the Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund.

“During this time of my life, this money means everything,” she said.