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Bernie Macs wife and daughter were with him until the very end, says
the late comic's sister-in-law in a personal and touching interview
with PEOPLE that took place Saturday.
Speaking of a heartbreaking moment between her younger sister, Rhonda, and the 50-year-old actor-comedian who succumbed
to complications from pneumonia in a Chicago hospital at 2 a.m.
Saturday Mary Ann Grossett says that the night before Mac died, "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."
Rhonda,
Macs wife since 1977, and their 30-year-old daughter, Je'Niece, 30,
were with him when he died. "[The doctors] were working on him," says
Grossett. "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."
Prior to that, the couple had last communicated on July 31.
"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," says
Grossett.
Lung Disease Contributed
The sister-in-law says Mac's inflammatory lung disease contributed to his 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."
She reveals that Mac having trouble breathing and running a
fever was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator.
"He was critically ill when he was in the hospital," says Gossett. "He was in intensive care the whole time."
She adds that doctors kept the star sedated, although he was
conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while
in the hospital.
His Wife's Reaction
Of her widowed sibling (like Mac,Rhonda is 50), Grossett says, "Shes devastated. However, she's at
peace about his transition because of her faith in God. Her faith is
what is sustaining her."
She says of the couple's enduring union, "They had 30 years of
marriage. That's unprecedented in today's time, particularly for
celebrities. That brings joy to her. They loved each other and
respected each other on a daily basis. She was by his side to the very
end."
Recalling the couple's early years, when they were still in
their teens, Grossett says, "When they started dating, he said, 'Girl,
you better come on board this train, because I'm going to be rich.' And
her response was, 'Okay,' and they were married. That's how he charmed
her, with his sense of humor."
She adds, "When they got married they were kids. He was 20 and
she was 19. They both grew up together, and they both matured in this
marriage.
'She's Going to Miss Him Dearly'
"What she willtreasure the most is the fact that she was his wife for 30 years and
not only was she his wife, but she was his best friend. She's going to
miss him dearly."
Macs funeral is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, at an
undisclosed location. The family requests that donations be made to the
Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601,
Chicago IL 60605.
