Double tragedy has struck a family after two sisters each lost a child to illness within months of each other.

Monica Doers lost her daughter Leslie-Ann Doers Robinson, a former employee of Bermuda Press Holdings, to pneumonia in October, while her sister Victoria Lindsay lost her son Michael Lindsay to pancreatic cancer in March.

Close cousins, Leslie and Michael were born within two days of each other in the same hospital ward and were planning to throw a big party to celebrate their 50th birthdays together this month.

The mothers said that Leslie and Michael shared the same outgoing, friendly personalities.

“Leslie and Mikey were very close growing up, they played together all the time. Vic and I are the closest of our five sisters, there’s something different about Vic,” Mrs Doers said.

Mrs Lindsay, who also lost her husband Basil in 2011, said the news of the two deaths was overwhelming.

Speaking from her Florida home, Mrs Lindsay said: “I’m still going through it now. With Leslie, I am reliving what happened with Mikey so many months ago. They were very close Mikey and Leslie — Leslie’s mum Monica and I were both in hospital together. Leslie was born on 21st of November and Mikey the 23rd — they would both be 50 this month.

“They wanted to celebrate their 50th birthday together — that was the plan. They were very friendly people.

“Her and Mikey had a similar type of attitude, they both had that same type of spirit.”

Leslie worked for Office Solutions for almost 23 years and Michael worked as an engineer for Belco. They both lived in Bermuda, but when Michael died he asked to be buried in Florida where his father Basil is buried. Devastated by the news of Michael’s death, Leslie made a speech at a memorial held for him on the Island.

“Leslie gave her speech and she was crying in between. She said, ‘Mike and I had a special bond. Mike you went too soon.’ To think that she then went before she had her 50th birthday — it’s so unbelievable,” Mrs Doers said.

Remembering her daughter, Mrs Doers said: “Leslie was a very loving person. We were very, very close. She would never say no to me. She was a sweet child. She called me every day from her job and would say ‘mom I love you’. She was very caring and she loved her nephews and nieces — she couldn’t do enough for them. She lived right next door to her brother Randy and so she was in and out of his house. He said to me, ‘Mummy, I’m going to really miss Leslie coming in.’ It’s a big void.

“She would love to go to church with me and take her children to Sunday School. Her son Bryson plays drums every Sunday morning and her other little boy Jamon sings in the choir. We didn’t expect it, she just had a few days in the hospital and she was gone.”

Leslie was godmother to Joleesa Holdipp, and her dedication to the children earned her the nickname Super God Ma.

“When I had my daughter we came home from the hospital and Leslie was over my house helping. She was cleaning, sorting clothes and washing dishes. One of my friends made a comment, ‘she’s like a Super God Ma’ and she basically adopted that name. Everyone around here calls her Super,” Ms Holdipp said.

“People will remember her for her lively spirit it was always the same, every time you saw her — she was energetic and she loved to talk!”

Mrs Lindsay added: “Her personality was overwhelming to me — when she saw me it was ‘Aunt Vic! Aunt Vic! I’m so glad to see you auntie.’ She was so outgoing. She was a lovely girl I will miss her terribly when I go back there.”

Remembering her own child, Mrs Lindsay said: “That’s my baby — he was the most loving child. When he came to visit me in Florida it was a good occasion for me. He was a people person — very loving, very kind. Every time he saw someone he knew he would make a lot of fuss about them, even when he didn’t know them … he would talk to everyone.”

Leslie leaves behind her husband Donovan and sons Bryson and Jamon while Michael leaves behind his wife Renne. A funeral service will be held at Mount Zion Church on Friday.