A MUM who was “terrified” of living without her terminally ill husband died of a “broken heart” just three days before he passed away from cancer.
Sharon and Wayne Dann had been married for almost 10 years and referred to each other as their “soul mate”.
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In October 2023, Wayne, who had previously undergone radiotherapy for cancer in his groin, discovered it had spread to his lungs and required surgery.
Doctors sadly couldn’t remove it, and in February, the 57-year-old was told he had sarcoma – a rare type of tumour that develops in bone and connective tissue.
The landscape gardener was due to start chemotherapy, but in March, Wayne’s condition deteriorated and he was rushed to hospital.
Sharon, 54, refused to leave his bedside for six days.
Her daughter Ellie Steward said her mum struggled to eat or sleep as she was so scared of living in a world without her husband.
The 29-year-old described their relationship as one that was based on mutual adoration and lots of laughter as they were simply “each other’s person”.
Just three days before Wayne died, Ellie received a life-changing phone call from her mum, who was struggling to breathe.
She rushed to Warwick Hospital, where she was told 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 severe stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle and be life-threatening.
Sharon was placed into a medically induced coma but sadly passed away on April 4.
Wayne died three days later on April 7.
Ellie, from Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, said: “My mum had a really hard time.
“She was really stressed and worried about it all. I tried to be there for her as much as I could as I didn’t want her to be on her own.
“When Wayne was rushed to hospital, we were told he wasn’t going to make it to have the chemotherapy.
“The hospital rang us the next day and said, ‘We think he’s going to die today’.”
Wayne pulled through, but the emotional toll of the wait became too much for Sharon.
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“The extent of the heartbreak for my mum was huge,” Ellie said.
“She was non-stop in the hospital room with him; she only went home twice to change her clothes.
“She wasn’t eating, she wasn’t sleeping and I kept trying to get her out of the room.
“I ordered her a Subway and was trying to make her eat.
“I was trying to get her to get some fresh air but she just kept crying and saying she didn’t want to be on her own.”
I knew how much my mum was scared of being lonely
Ellie Steward
On Easter Sunday, Sharon phoned her daughter to say she was struggling to breathe.
She was taken to hospital, where Ellie raced to join her “as quickly as she could”.
“The nurses told me that my mum had had a heart attack,” she said.
“I got there and they put her in a coma. Then she died.
“The doctor said that it was a form of broken heart syndrome.”
Devastated Ellie described her mum as being an incredibly loving and caring woman.
Her step-dad was a wonderfully funny man who always knew how to make other people smile, she added.
‘THEY FINISHED EACH OTHER’S SENTENCES’
The retail worker hopes that by sharing her story, it will encourage others who are grieving to look after themselves more.
Ellie, who got a tattoo in memory of her mum, said: “They were soul mates, that’s how they described each other.
“They’d finish each other’s sentences; they were each other’s person.
“They had a really close relationship. My mum was a carer so by nature she was really caring and loving.
“My step-dad was really funny; he had a great sense of humour.
“Right until the last day I saw him, he was making me and my mum laugh.”
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She added: “Quite a lot of older people die from broken heart syndrome so I think it’s quite rare for someone of her age and something the doctor’s don’t really see.
“I wasn’t surprised when they said that’s what they believed had happened as I knew how much my mum was scared of being lonely.
“Since it happened, it just gets worse and worse if I’m honest. I’m on a waiting list for some counselling.
“My advice to others would just be to be kind to yourself and be patient with yourself. Go through whatever you feel.”
If you are grieving and need support, contact The Good Grief Trust.
What is broken heart syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome is also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy, takotsubo syndrome or apical ballooning syndrome.
It is usually triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle, meaning it doesn’t pump blood as well as it should.
It earned its nickname because it can be caused by grief or a big breakup, and weakens the heart by swelling part of it.
Other potential causes include domestic abuse, physical assault, severe and sudden illness, recent surgery, financial worries or debt, and being involved in a disaster, such as an earthquake.
Broken heart syndrome can develop at any age, and it typically affects more women than men.
Symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack and include:
- Sudden, intense chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations (fluttering, pounding, a thud or movement in the chest or neck)
- Feeling sick
- Being sick
Around 3,000 people experience broken heart syndrome every year in the UK.
Source: British Heart Foundation
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