In 1988, Jacqueline Gijbels was told that she was suffering from breast cancer. In 2011 she was diagnosed with bone cancer. Since this year she has been receiving palliative treatment. Clouseau’s music has a special meaning for her. Her ticket for the band’s fortieth anniversary in January 2025 is ready, but given the circumstances, her daughter Katleen De Wit went to Wens ambulance care to get her mother to a concert earlier.
The meeting with Koen and Kris was very jovial. — © rr
For Jacqueline, it had been since 1989 since she saw Clouseau at work in the Sportpaleis. She was 36 years old at the time. “After I was told I had cancer, I went through a sad period,” she says. “At that time you still thought you would die quickly after such a verdict. Clouseau’s music really touched me then. It felt like some of their songs were written especially for me. I cried a lot about it.”
Warm family
Despite now being terminally ill, Jacqueline remains courageous. “I am a go-getter and a fighter,” she says. “I overcome the pain with pain patches. I also still have a good appetite, but we don’t know how long that can last. We are a very warm family with two children, a son and a daughter. We went to the concert on Tuesday with a group of ten. I am very pleased that my daughter provided this surprise.”
Before the concert the company had a meet & greet with Koen and Kris Wauters. “They are very normal people, without any fuss,” she says. “I’m a bit of a crazy person myself, so I thought I’d ask them Can I kiss you, like the title of the TV show. But that wasn’t necessary. I received those kisses spontaneously, on the cheek of course. When they left I got another one. I still laughed that I wouldn’t wash for a week.”
Jacqueline should not ask for a kiss from Koen or Kris. She got it spontaneously. — © rr
During the concert, Jacqueline was allowed to take a seat on a platform for wheelchair users. “We had a good view and it sounded great,” she says. “Clouseau played for two hours. The people at the Den Amer cultural center in Diest also did an excellent job. My dream has definitely come true. Of course I also hope to experience the concert on January 4. Koen said that I should shout during a quiet moment, but there is little chance that he will notice me among 17,000 other spectators.”
Positivity
Jacqueline also speaks highly of the services of Wens ambulance care. “I think it’s fantastic that they want to do this for people who are on palliative care,” she says. “We were not allowed to pay them for this trip, but we will certainly sponsor them. My motto is: whoever does good, meets good. They deserve to be put in the spotlight themselves.”
The family went to the concert in Diest with a group of ten. — © rr
Finally, Jacqueline insists on ending on a positive note. “Instead of constantly whining about small setbacks, enjoy every day,” she emphasizes. “In addition to cancer, I have experienced all kinds of things, but I remain positive about life. With my story I want to give people courage and open their eyes to put everything into perspective.”
 to Clouseau’s concert: “Their music really touched me” (Heist-op-den-Berg)){kind=link}