Heroic Mum Who Saved Son’s Life in Orlando Shooting Laid to Rest

49-year-old Brenda Lee Marquez-McCool, who died while protecting her son during the Orlando mass shooting, has been laid to rest.

The mother of 11 had shielded her 21-year-old son, Isaiah Henderson, from bullets fired by shooter, Omar Matoon at the Pulse nightclub where the mother and son had been dancing.

She was buried on Monday at the First United Methodist Church, Orlando, where family and friends gathered to pay their last respects. They had nothing but good things to say about the self-sacrificing mother who saved her son’s life and lost hers in the process.

While paying a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Henderson broke down in tears, US Weekly reports. “My mum was the best mum … I never thought that her life would be ended right in front of my eyes. My mother accepted everyone with open arms. She loved everybody equally no matter what,” he said.

“Everybody who knew my mum knew her as the mum everybody wanted. She always took everybody in with open arms. She loved everybody equally, no matter what. I wouldn’t trade my mum for the world,” he added.

According to CBSnews, Mayor Buddy Dyer,  who attended the service,  talked about the late McCool’s bravery and declared June 20 as a citywide day of mourning to honour her  memory.

“Our community continues to grieve and heal and we will be stronger because of people like Brenda. We’ll never forget Brenda,” Dyer said of the late McCool who had previously survived two bouts of cancer.

Photo credit: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images