Hulda Gideon (9), who became a social media star for her viral “Ndele ohai filidja” (I’m freezing) video, has died.
Gideon died on Friday night at a hospital in Windhoek after a long battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer.
Her death was confirmed to The Namibian on Saturday by Ngozi Onyeneke, her mother.
Gideon was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two. After two years of chemotherapy treatment, she went into remission.
A video of her saying “ndele ohai filidja” (I’m freezing) went viral in 2023. After three years of being cancer-free, Gideon relapsed last year.
“She’s a bubbly little girl who still finds the strength to dance even while sick. But it has been a long and painful journey, emotionally and financially,”Onyeneke
told The Namibian in October last year.
Gideon received a bone transplant from her mother in Cape Town in February.
“It’s a bit more complicated when it’s a parent donating. That’s why they mostly require an unrelated donor. But unfortunately, we couldn’t find one for her,” Onyeneke said in March.
The family was expected to stay in Cape Town for three months after the surgery.
Gideon’s death notice says funeral arrangements will be arranged at a later date.
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