Brenda Fassie in near-death drama

JOHANNESBURG – If Brenda Fassie’s brother had not rushed her to hospital as quickly as he had, she would probably not be alive.

Fassie was taken to hospital on Monday morning after suffering a severe asthma attack which her family and doctors feared might have caused her permanent brain damage. Fassie’s brother Themba told The Star how, shortly after waking up, the singer started complaining that she could not breathe properly.”She screamed my name, she couldn’t breathe and I took her outside for some fresh air,” he said.Themba said he immediately called an ambulance and then contacted her manager, Peter Snyman, who advised him to rush her to hospital instead of waiting for the ambulance.Snyman said that when he received the call from Fassie’s brother, he knew it spelt trouble as he was aware the singer had been battling asthma for years.He also dashed to the hospital, where doctors informed him about Fassie’s condition.”She was dead.She stopped breathing, her heart stopped beating and doctors had to resuscitate her,” he said.Doctors placed her in the intensive care unit and treated her for cardiac arrest.Family and friends were at the hospital anxiously waiting to find out the results of brain scans.By late afternoon, tests showed there was no brain damage and the singer was moved from the ICU to a private ward.- The StarFassie’s brother Themba told The Star how, shortly after waking up, the singer started complaining that she could not breathe properly.”She screamed my name, she couldn’t breathe and I took her outside for some fresh air,” he said.Themba said he immediately called an ambulance and then contacted her manager, Peter Snyman, who advised him to rush her to hospital instead of waiting for the ambulance.Snyman said that when he received the call from Fassie’s brother, he knew it spelt trouble as he was aware the singer had been battling asthma for years.He also dashed to the hospital, where doctors informed him about Fassie’s condition.”She was dead.She stopped breathing, her heart stopped beating and doctors had to resuscitate her,” he said.Doctors placed her in the intensive care unit and treated her for cardiac arrest.Family and friends were at the hospital anxiously waiting to find out the results of brain scans.By late afternoon, tests showed there was no brain damage and the singer was moved from the ICU to a private ward.- The Star