As the world continues to mourn the loss of the 49 lives cut short during the horrific Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, one son is honoring his mother who saved his life in exchange for her own.
Twenty-one-year-old Isaiah Henderson broke down instantly as he began his emotional tribute to his mother Brenda Lee Marquez McCool at her funeral service on Monday. Speaking to a crowd of nearly 200 family members and friends who gathered at the First United Methodist Church of Orlando to pay their respects to the extraordinarily brave mother of 11 and two-time cancer survivor, Isaiah was overwhelmed with emotion as he tearfully reflected on his mother’s life.
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“I just want to say my mom was the best mom out there,” he said, as he began crying. “I never thought her life would be ended right in front of my eyes. Everyone who knew my mom knew she was the mom everyone wanted. She loved everyone deeply no matter what.”
According to CNN, Brenda often frequented Pulse with Isaiah and was enjoying a night of dancing when the evening took a fateful turn for the worst. The beloved 49-year-old mom was fatally struck by two bullets as she used her own body to shield her son from the attack, just as gunman Omar Mateen began firing, ultimately giving her life to save Isaiah’s.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke briefly during the service, declaring a day of mourning in Brenda’s honor, while family members released 49 white balloons into the sky following the service in her memory. Watch Isaiah’s tearful tribute to his mother below.
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