Daughter of Paapa Yankson shares emotional story to mark 7 years of his passing
Daughter of Paapa Yankson shares emotional story to mark 7 years of his passing.
Today, July 21, 2024 marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of beloved Ghanaian highlife legend, Paapa Yankson.
His daughter, Hillary Yankson has shared a heartfelt and emotional tribute, reflecting on the profound impact of his death and her journey of healing since that tragic day.
She vividly recalls the Thursday when her father passed on, the same day her WASSCE results were released.
Excited by her success, she eagerly anticipated sharing the news with her father, who had promised her a surprise.
However, she delayed her visit, preoccupied with discussing the results with her friends, a mistake that cost her from witnessing her father’s final moments.
“”It was a Thursday, I remember. Our WASSCE results had just been released, and I realized I had passed. He had promised me a surprise if I passed, so I was very excited. That day, I was supposed to visit him at 10 am because he wasn’t feeling well, but I delayed. Around noon, I heard my mum and brother screaming my name. I ran out to meet them, only to hear that my dad was gone.”
Hillary, in series of tweets, revealed the shock and grief were immediate and overwhelming, causing her to feel as though she was losing her mind.
The physical pain of the loss was intense, and she remembers wanting to run into the streets.
The days following his death were filled with unbearable agony as she couldn’t eat, talk, or function normally because she struggled to accept the reality of her father’s passing.
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“It was physical pain. I could feel my body shutting down. I wanted to tear my dress and run into the streets. I was going mad. I remember hitting my head against the wall and saying it wasn’t true. Because he was popular, I started receiving calls. At that point, my phone, which I was eagerly pressing before I heard about his death, looked like trash to me. I threw it away. I felt sick instantly, started throwing up, my temperature went up, and I started shaking terribly. My family had to hold me down because if they didn’t, I could have run into the streets and followed him.”
Hillary added that, she went through the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, and depression and even now, seven years later, she is still working through acceptance.
However, with time, the support of her family and friends, and her faith, she has made progress in her healing journey.
“I had dreams with my father. A lot of them. They all didn’t happen. I was angry – a lot. I was angry at God. I kept asking why. I kept asking if my prayers really did anything. Now that I look back, I see how God held me close. If you’ve lost someone before, I want to tell you that it gets better. I promise you. The pain doesn’t go away. Every now and then, something will remind you of that person, and you’d feel that gap they left in you. But it gets better.”
Though she still experiences moments of intense grief, she finds solace in believing her father is in a better place and would want her to move forward with her life.
