Mother-of-11 who survived cancer twice dies in Orlando massacre shielding her son from gunman
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool was killed putting herself in the line of fire to save her child's life
A-MOTHER-of -11 who survived two types of cancer tragically lost her life while protecting her son in the Orlando massacre.
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49, regularly went to the Pulse nightclub Latin night with her son Isaiah Henderson, 21.
The pair were dancing when the gunfire started and tried to find cover as Omar Mateen fired indiscriminately in the venue, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Despite trying to stay out of the shower of bullets he turned his gun on them – and Brenda heroically shielded her son to save his life,
tragically losing her own.
Brenda, from Brooklyn, New York, moved to California for 15 years before ending up in Orlando so she could be near her children.
“She just went out last night and said goodbye to her children and to be called 3 hours later that she has been hit by 2 gunshots and later pronounced dead.”
He set up the page to raise money to help support his younger brothers and sisters – and it has so far raised over $24,000.
The family have been overwhelmed with messages of support and her son Robert Vinnie Pressley posted a Facebook message saying how touched they have been, and talking about his mother’s vibrant personality and love of life: “A lot of people called my mom ‘mom.’ “My mom was a good person. She loved to hang out she was always uplifting, always there, everybody loved my mom.
“She passed away doing what she loved, supporting her kids and having fun with her kids. She wasn't supposed to make it, she had cancer, she was a fighter. My mom was a fighter. They told her she wasn't supposed to live eight years ago.”
He went on to say Brenda, who was a supporter of the LGBT community, would have wanted people to celebrate her life: “She wouldn't want you guys to be sad, she'd want you to be happy. Celebrating her.
“My and my brothers and sisters we're doing what we have to do but my mom wouldn't want us to be sad she'd want us to celebrate.
“She always told me that when she passed away she didn't want us to be sad she wanted us to party and celebrate her life because my mom, she never had any regrets.”