Although the world grieves the loss of a great comedian and actor, no one is feeling more devastated than Bernie Mac's family. His wife Rhonda, of 30 years and his daughter Je'Niece, were by his side during his last moments. Rhonda's sister spoke of their last, heartbreaking time together.
Mary Ann Grossett told PEOPLE of her sister and Bernie's final time together:
The night before he passed away, Bernie struggled to breath. Mary Ann says, "He struggled for his life. He couldn't breathe.
"He opened his eyes on his own and looked at Rhonda. She called his name, and he opened his eyes and nodded to her. She smiled at him and told him, 'Don't leave me … 'I'm waiting for you to come back.' He shrugged his shoulders, and she said that's when she knew he was tired. He signaled to her that his body was tired."
Both Rhonda and Mac's daughter were by his side when he died. Grossett continues, "[The doctors] were working on him. They tried to resuscitate him two times. One time he came back for about an hour. Then he went into cardiac arrest the second time."
Mac and his wife had had non verbal communication for the last time on July 31. Sister-in-law Mary Ann says, "He told his wife [non-verbally] that he could breathe on his own, and he wanted the ventilator out. He motioned that he wanted it out."
Gossett said that lung disease contributed to her brother-in-law's death.
"He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission," she says. "But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that's where the pneumonia came from."
Mac was admitted to the hospital on July 24 as he was having trouble breathing and running a fever. He was then diagnosed with pneumonia and placed on a ventilator.
Mac's sister-in-law adds, "He was critically ill when he was in the hospital. He was in intensive care the whole time." The 50-year-old comedian was kept sedated, and sometimes conscious but he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while admitted.
Mary Ann says of her sister's reaction to Mac's death, "She’s devastated. However, she's at peace about his transition because of her faith in God. Her faith is what is sustaining her."
Bernie and Rhonda were married in 1977 - they had a 30 year union, which in this day and age is rare and even more so in the 'celebrity world.' Their daughter made Mac a granddaddy 21-months ago.
To read the rest of the interview with Bernie's sister-in-law, go here.
Here are a couple of photos - Bernie's daughter and her husband, and his grandbaby Jasmine.
[Source,source]
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