Nearly a year after a Surrey mother was killed saving her twin daughters by pushing them out of the path of a runaway delivery van, her family is still trying to piece together their lives.
On Dec. 15, 2020, 48-year-old Parmjit Massuta was walking her 8-year-old twins from school when an unoccupied delivery van rushed towards them.
To save her children, Parmjit pushed them out of the way. It was a heroic move that cost her life.
She died at the scene, leaving behind her young children and a grieving husband, who says it’s been difficult navigating the last year without her.
“The year has been very hard. It’s been hard for the kids, we miss her a lot,” said Daljit Massuta, Parmjit’s husband.
“There are no words to say how much we miss her.”
He says their home has been left empty without Parmjit, who was always doing what she could to love and support her children.
The couple had been married for 17 years before their twin daughters were born.
Parmjit devoted her life to raising her children and did her best to provide them with the best life possible.
Now they are forced to go on without her – something their father, Daljit, says has been extremely difficult.
“The kids say they would be happy with her, now they’re just quiet at home. There used to be life in the home, [but] not anymore,” Daljit told OMNI News in Punjabi. “It’s really hard now. I wake up the kids early at around 5 a.m., then I make them breakfast, make their lunch, take them to daycare and then go to work myself,” Daljit said. “Daycare has been really flexible so it’s been helpful.”
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The children’s grandparents are currently in the U.S. and have visited to help raise the children, but that has become more difficult given their advanced age.
Daljit is working five days a week as a mechanic, but admits the responsibility of raising two young children alone has been tough, especially as the children navigate the grief of losing their mother.
“Their mom would help them with everything. They loved to be with her, to spend time with her. She was always laughing, she was never upset. She was patient with the kids, she had a lot of time for them. She did everything for them,” Daljit said. “Now I’m trying to do what I can to step in and help, whether that’s getting their meals ready, or helping them with school.”
Nearly a year after a Surrey mother was killed saving her twin daughters from a runaway delivery van, her family is still piecing together their lives. Paramjit Massuta's daughters say they miss her everyday "She would hug us, she'd play with us. She was brave." @PrabhjotKahlon pic.twitter.com/YS7CMYFSio
— Tarnjit Kaur Parmar (@Tarnjitkparmar) December 14, 2021
The investigation into the deadly crash is still ongoing. Surrey RCMP confirms a final report to Crown Counsel is almost complete, but these types of cases could take years to resolve.
But for the Massuta family, that time only makes the pain worse and the loss of Parmjit is something they feel they can never fully recover from.
“Other people might say okay this was a mistake, an accident. We are the ones who got punished for the rest of our lives. We are the ones who have to live without her,” Daljit said.
Parmjit’s two daughters Supreet and Maneet say they hold the memories of their mother close to their hearts, and think of her often – remembering her kind nature and the love she had for them.
“She would hug us. She would feed us and play with us,” they say. “She would take us to school, and play with us at the park.”