That fateful day, July 11, 2011, was what led all of Cyprus to learn about Popi Christoforou. The woman who experienced and bore a pain that no mother should ever have to endure. The mother of the twin victims of the deadly explosion at Mari: Christos and Miltos.
READ ALSO: A final farewell to Popi Christoforou: The funeral of the iconic mother, dressed in white and blue | AlphaNews
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Cyprus
There are losses that time cannot ease. For Popi Christoforou, July 11 was not just a date. It was the day that changed her life forever. The day she lost her twin sons, just 19 years old.
Among the 13 victims were her two children. The twins who came into the world together and left it together.
Poppy did not remain silent in her grief. For fifteen years, she stood against oblivion. Present at the memorial services for the 13 victims, she spoke of accountability, demanded answers, and sought justice. Her pain became a public voice. And for many, she herself became the symbolic mother of the Mari tragedy.
She fought yet another battle
And while the wound of her loss never healed, she was called upon to fight yet another battle—this time against cancer.
In recent years, she battled the disease, yet never missed a moment of remembrance for her children and the other victims of the Mari disaster.
Yesterday, Popi Christoforou passed away, leaving behind three words that defined her life: Miltos. Christos. Memory.
Cyprus bids farewell to the mother of the Mari twins. A woman who endured the unthinkable: losing two children at once… continuing to live in their absence… battling cancer…To grieve… To remember… To seek justice…
Popi Christoforou has passed away.
The news of her death has brought grief not only to her loved ones. Her husband Michalis and her beloved daughter Georgia, who are once again called upon to face this loss, but also throughout all of Cyprus.
The state, political parties, municipalities, organizations, and ordinary citizens are bidding farewell to Mrs. Popi and expressing their sorrow at her loss.
“Poppy Christoforou was a symbol of mental strength, dignity, and resilience. Through the unbearable pain of the unjust loss of her two children, she transformed her personal grief into a relentless struggle for justice, responsibility, and accountability.”
Nikos Christodoulides – President of the Republic
The funeral of Popi Christoforou will be held this coming Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Church in Limassol. The family requests that those attending wear white and blue clothing.
Alpha extends its deepest condolences to her loved ones.
Watch Erika Kavazi’s report:
