Mother dies of a broken heart days before her husband

By Ellen Coughlan for Mailonline

12:50 p.m. June 13, 2024, updated at 3:15 p.m. June 13, 2024

A mother terrified of living without her cancer-stricken husband died of a broken heart when he was admitted to end-of-life care – dying three days before he did.

Sharon Dann, 54, and Wayne Dann, 57, from Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, had been married for almost ten years and considered themselves “soulmates”.

Wayne, who had previously undergone radiotherapy for cancer in his groin, discovered it had spread to his lungs, meaning he had to undergo surgery in October last year.

Despite doctors’ best efforts, the family discovered the 57-year-old had sarcoma in February and would need chemotherapy.

But in March, the landscaper was hospitalized when his condition deteriorated, with his 54-year-old wife, a caregiver, refusing to leave his bedside for six days.

Sharon’s daughter Ellie Steward said her mother struggled to eat or sleep because she was terrified of living in a world without her husband.

The 29-year-old says their relationship was based on mutual adoration and lots of laughter, adding that they were “each other’s”.

Just three days before Wayne died, Ellie received a life-changing phone call from her mother who was struggling to breathe.

Ellie immediately rushed to Warwick Hospital, Warwickshire, but was told by nurses that Sharon had suffered a heart attack caused by broken heart syndrome – also known as stress cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo.

This rare condition occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can quickly weaken the heart muscle, which can be life-threatening.

Sharon was placed in a medically induced coma but sadly died on April 4, followed by Wayne, who died three days later on April 7.

Ellie said: “My mother had a very difficult time. She was really stressed and worried about the whole thing. I tried to be there for her as much as possible because I didn’t want her to be alone.

“When Wayne was rushed to hospital we were told he wouldn’t survive the chemotherapy. The hospital called us the next day and said, “We think he’s going to die today.”

“The A&E department put us in a private room but he didn’t die that day. Every day I would come in with my mother and sit in this room. The extent of the grief for my mother was immense.

“She was in the hospital room with him non-stop, she only came home twice. I went home with her to change her clothes.

“She wasn’t eating, she wasn’t sleeping and I was trying to get her out of the room. I ordered her a Subway and was trying to get her to eat.

“I was trying to get her to get some fresh air, but she kept crying and saying she didn’t want to be alone.

“It was Sunday, which was Easter, and my mother called me. I thought she was going to say my stepfather was dead, but she said she couldn’t breathe.

“I got to the hospital as quickly as possible. The nurses told me my mother had had a heart attack.

“I got there and they put her in a coma. She was in a coma from Sunday to April 4 and that’s 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 others smile.

WHAT IS BROKEN HEART SYNDROME?

Although it is better known as “broken heart syndrome,” this condition also goes by two other names: stress cardiomyopathy and Takotsubo syndrome.

This last name comes from the shape that the heart takes during an episode of “grief”.

The left pumping chamber of the heart expands outward like a balloon, while the base of the muscle inverts, pulling inward.

The combined effect makes the heart too weak to pump blood properly.

And, according to the Japanese scientists who discovered the phenomenon, the contorted heart resembles a “taksubo”, a pot for catching octopuses.

Sudden heart syndrome causes symptoms similar to a heart attack, such as chest pain and shortness of breath.

The exact cause and mechanisms of broken heart syndrome are unclear.

But it tends to happen after shocks, such as a physical injury, infection, or news of the death of a loved one.

Scientists believe that a sudden influx of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol causes the heart to malfunction.

There is no standard treatment for broken heart syndrome. Treatment is similar to heart attack care until the diagnosis is clear. Most people stay in the hospital while their condition improves.

This disease affects more than a million people each year in the United States and is life-threatening.

This saleswoman now hopes that by sharing her story, she will encourage other grieving people to take better care of themselves to avoid the same fate.

Ellie said: “They were soulmates, that’s how they described themselves. They finished each other’s sentences, they were each other’s person.

“They had a very close relationship. My mother was a caregiver, so by nature she was really caring and loving.

“My stepfather was really funny, he had a great sense of humor. Until the last day I saw him, he made me and my mother laugh.

“A lot of older people die from broken heart syndrome, so I think it’s quite rare for someone his age and doctors don’t really see it.

“I wasn’t surprised when they said that’s what they thought happened, because I knew how scared my mother was of feeling alone.

“My advice to others would be to just be kind to yourself and be patient with yourself. Go through whatever you’re feeling.