Woman petrified of life without her husband dies of ‘broken heart’ hours before he passed away from dementia
A WOMAN petrified of life without her husband of 68 years passed away of a “broken heart” hours before he did.
Frank, 91, and Anne Beaumont, 89, of Wooldale, died peacefully at a care home in Meltham just one day apart.
The couple had been married for 68 years and were described as “inseparable”.
Family believes Anne “died of a broken heart” after being told that Frank – who had dementia – may not have long to live and was being moved to a different care home.
Their son, Ian Beaumont told Yorkshire Live: “My parents were married for 68 years, they simply adored each other, they did 99.9 per cent of everything together – whether that was my dad’s football, he played for most of his life and mum always went along to support him.
“Equally my mum did a lot for the community and my dad was always on hand to support and help out too.”
Anne’s death came as a huge shock to the family, as the 89-year-old was in relatively good health compared to her husband.
Ian told MailOnline: “There was no heart attack or anything, she just died.”
Frank passed away only 24 hours later, after being told of his wife’s passing.
The retired chemical company manager, was admitted to a care home in July last year, when his wife could no longer look after him at home.
Ian said: “They were both in Greenacres Care Home in Meltham, who were fantastic and so supportive, dad had been in there for around twelve months and my mum for four months.
“She really missed him after he went in there.
“Dad had dementia for about five years, up until then he was an active person.
“He slowly deteriorated, as people with dementia do, it was imminent for dad, we all expected him to go first.
“So it was a huge shock when mum died first, I believe she died of a broken heart after receiving the news that things weren’t looking great for dad.
“She was in seemingly good health right up until she passed. My mum was always dramatic so it made perfect sense!
“Less than 24 hours later my dad passed too.”
Despite their grief, Frank and Anne’s family have found a sense of comfort in their almost simultaneous passing.
“It’s as if they planned it,” Ian explained.
“Everyone has said ‘ah how nice is that’ and while it is bittersweet, it is certainly comforting for me and my sister to know they are together, just like they always were.”
Can you really die of a broken heart?
Having or dying of 'a broken heart' is a turn of phrase.
But there is a medical condition dubbed ‘broken heart syndrome’ or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy occurs when one of the heart’s chamber, the left ventricle, suddenly expands and weakens.
This means that the heart can’t pump blood around the body properly and this extra stress can lead to heart failure.
The condition is usually temporary – lasting a few days or weeks – and happens to some people when their body is coping with overwhelming physical or emotional stress.
It can come on in connection to grief, hence its name.
Most people completely recover from broken heart syndrome with treatment.
Though research suggests that some can experience tiredness, breathlessness or unexplained chest pains months later.
It’s pretty unlikely that someone will die of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, though one in 10 who’ve had it may develop it again after they’ve recovered.
Experts from the British Heart Foundation suggest that a rush of overwhelming stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline put sudden stress on the heart, causing temporary damage.
For some people, an event like death, illness, surgery, mental trauma or financial stress can trigger takotsubo.
The condition is very rare, affecting up to 5,000 people in the UK every year.
It mostly strikes women, according to the BHF.
The most common symptoms are:
- Sudden, intense chest pain
- Pressure or heaviness on the chest
- Shortness of breath
Symptoms can be similar to a heart attack, though these are two different conditions.
If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 999 immediately.
Source: BHF
In an emotional tribute to his parents, Ian said: “Mum and dad lived life to the full, travelled the world and always had time for others as well as their family.
“My Dad was a joker as well as a serious person – he mixed the two effortlessly, he adored Mum, and they rarely spent time apart.
“Mum was devoted to Dad and equally, always loved to be around his fun-loving life.
“As a family, and I suspect all who knew them, they will be remembered as hard-working, kind yet fun-loving.
“As my Grandma once told me, if you’re going to do any job make sure you do it properly, which was their lifetime motto.
“They will be sorely missed, but my sister and I (and our wider family) have countless happy memories which will be treasured for the rest of our lives.”
Frank and Anne – who ran play groups and worked as a GP receptionist – were parents to Ian, Jill and the late Neil, who passed away in a motorbike accident years ago.
They left behind three grandchildren as well as a great grandchild.
A celebration of both Anne and Frank’s life will take place on Monday, September 30 at St David’s Church, Holmbridge, Holmfirth.