This distressing photo shows Chris and Lynn Johnson, who were both 76 years old and had been married for over 50 years.
Lynn was suffering from an aggressive brain tumor, while Chris was suffering from liver and bowel cancer. Their final days were spent in a hospice room.
The photo shows Lynn and Chris, who were both lying on the floor with their grown-up children beside them.
After the picture was taken, Lynn died on February 13. A few days later, Chris also passed away.
Their daughter, Julie Whittaker, shared the heartbreaking image with her family.
Julie stated that her father was there for her mother’s final breath. He held her hand as she died.
She said that it took him a couple of days to come to terms with the fact that his mother had passed away.
He then started to lose his appetite and stopped drinking and eating.
If Lynn were still alive, Chris probably wouldn’t have died on February 13.
The goal was to make sure that they were still together until the end. When he was a milkman, he first met Lynn while they were out on their rounds.
They got married in June 1972. They had two children, Julie and Gary. They were regarded as “proper soulmates,” and they never separated themselves from one another.
Julie, who lives in Glapwell, Derbyshire, said that her parents were known as “proper soulmates,” and apart from work, they never separated themselves.
Even though they have passed away, it still feels unreal. Everything just happened so quickly.
Last October, Chris was diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer. Less than three months later, Lynn was also diagnosed with a brain tumor.
The couple were placed in adjoining rooms at Ashgate Hospice. The staff members there fulfilled their dying wish to see them together until the end of their lives.
Julie said that the care provided by the hospice was exceptional. Not only did it look after her parents, but it also helped her family.
Without the facility, it would have been heartbreaking for her family to choose between them. Having them together gave her family time to spend with them.
The staff members at the hospice are known to go out of their way to make sure that the patients and their families are comfortable.
During his final days, Chris enjoyed a glass of wine and was visited by his brother Alwyn every day.
Julie is now calling for the government to review the funding of end-of-life care services. She said that having patients in a hospice helps reduce the strain on the NHS.
Such a caring environment is what the staff members of the hospice strive for. I wish there were more families like ours who are looked after.
