A mother who was terrified of living without her cancer-stricken husband died of a broken heart when he was admitted to end-of-life care. He died three days before he did.
Sharon Dann, 54, and Wayne Dann, 57, from Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, had been married for almost a decade and called each other ‘soulmates’.
Wayne, who had previously undergone radiotherapy for cancer in his groin, discovered the cancer had spread to his lungs, meaning he had to undergo surgery in October last year.
Despite doctors’ efforts, the family found out in February that the 57-year-old had a sarcoma and would need chemotherapy.
But in March the landscaper was taken to hospital by blue light as his condition worsened, with his 54-year-old carer wife refusing to leave his bed for six days.
Sharon Dann, 54, (right) and Wayne Dann, 57, (left) from Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, died just days apart after Sharon died of a broken heart three days before her cancer-stricken husband
Sharon’s daughter, Ellie Steward, said her mother had trouble eating or sleeping because she was so afraid of living in a world without her husband.
The 29-year-old says their relationship was based on mutual adoration and lots of laughter because they were “each other’s person.”
Just three days before Wayne died, Ellie received the life-changing phone call from her mother, who was struggling to breathe.
Ellie immediately rushed to Warwick Hospital in Warwickshire, but was told by nurses that Sharon had suffered a heart attack caused by broken heart syndrome – also known as stress cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo syndrome.
The rare condition occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can quickly weaken the heart muscle, which can be life-threatening.
Sharon was put into a medically induced coma, but sadly passed away on April 4, followed by Wayne, who passed away three days later on April 7.
Ellie said: “My mum had a really hard time. She was very stressed and worried about all this. I tried to be there for her as much as possible because I didn’t want her to be alone.
The happy couple was married for almost ten years and called each other ‘soulmates’
Sharon’s daughter, Ellie Steward, 29, (left) said her mother had trouble eating or sleeping because she was so afraid of living in a world without her husband
The 29-year-old says their relationship was based on mutual adoration and lots of laughter because they were ‘each other’s person’
‘When Wayne was rushed to hospital we were told he wouldn’t make it through chemotherapy. The hospital called us the next day and said, “we think he’s going to die today.”
“The emergency department put us in a private room, but he didn’t die that day. Every day I went in with my mother and sat in this room. The magnitude of the heartbreak for my mother was enormous.
‘She was in the hospital room with him non-stop, she only went home twice. I went home with her to change her clothes.
‘She wouldn’t eat, she wouldn’t sleep and I kept trying to get her out of the room. I ordered her a Subway and tried to get her to eat it.
‘I tried to get her some fresh air, but she kept crying and saying she didn’t want to be alone.
‘It was Sunday, it was Easter, and my mother called me. I thought she was going to say my stepfather had died, but she said she couldn’t breathe.
‘I went to the hospital as quickly as possible. The nurses told me that my mother had had a heart attack.
Just three days before Wayne died, Ellie received the life-changing phone call from her mother, who was struggling to breathe
Ellie immediately rushed to Warwick Hospital in Warwickshire, but was told by nurses that Sharon had suffered a heart attack, caused by broken heart syndrome – also known as stress cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo syndrome
Sharon was put into a medically induced coma, but sadly passed away on April 4, followed by Wayne, who passed away three days later on April 7.
Ellie held her mother’s hands after falling into a coma following her heart attack
Ellie saved her mother and Wayne’s wedding rings and tied them together on a chain
Ellie got a heartfelt tattoo in memory of her mother who passed away on April 4
Devastated Ellie describes her mother as an incredibly loving and caring woman and her stepfather as a wonderfully funny man who always knew how to make other people laugh.
The store worker now hopes that by sharing her story, she will encourage others who are grieving to take better care of themselves and avoid the same fate
“I got there and they put her in a coma. She was in a coma from Sunday until April 4 when she died. The doctor said it was a form of broken heart syndrome.”
Devastated Ellie describes her mother as an incredibly loving and caring woman and her stepfather as a wonderfully funny man who always knew how to make other people laugh.
The store worker now hopes that by sharing her story, she will encourage others who are grieving to take better care of themselves and avoid the same fate.
Ellie said: ‘They were soulmates, that’s how they described each other. They finished each other’s sentences, they were each other’s person.
‘They had a very close relationship. My mother was a caregiver, so she was very caring and loving by nature.
‘My stepfather was very funny, he had a great sense of humor. Until the last day I saw him, he made me and my mother laugh.
‘Quite a few older people die from broken heart syndrome, so I think it’s quite rare for someone her age and something the doctor doesn’t really see.
‘I wasn’t surprised when they said this was what they thought had happened, because I knew how much my mother feared being lonely.
‘My advice to others would be to be kind to yourself and be patient with yourself. Go on with what you feel.”