A husband collapsed and died 10 minutes after laughing and joking with wife.
Leanne Slaymaker, lost her partner Tom Slaymaker, in January 2019 after a brief illness.
She was left a widow after only four months of marriage after he died in front of her aged 37.
The 40-year-old was laughing and joking with her husband just 10 minutes before he collapsed.
Now she wants to help others who have tragically and suddenly lost a partner see that there is a way through the grief.
Leanne, of Portishead, Somerset, said: “We had known each other for about five to six years by the time he passed, but had only been married for four months.
“He was a very loud, friendly, happy man and it was just a shock – I didn’t think this sort of thing happened but it does.
“I waited my whole life to be married and found true love for four months – and then my husband died suddenly at home in front of me.”
The newlyweds had known each other for around five years when they got married, after Tom proposed over the Christmas period in 2017.
The couple were already aware of each other and became closer due to the fact they were living on the same street as neighbours – after a year of getting to know each other they entered into a relationship together.
Tom would help Leanne with her car, and one night the duo happened to bump into each other in the pub – and their relationship blossomed from there.
The couple dated for a year before he proposed to Leanne in front of her children in 2017 and within another year they were married, tying the knot in August 2018.
During December 2018, the newlyweds both came down with the flu and after two weeks of illness Leanne took Tom to see a doctor.
The doctor warned that his heart rate was a ‘bit fast’ but said it was nothing to worry about and prescribed Tom steroids to help.
On Monday January 6, 2019, the pair woke up as usual and were laughing and joking together in the kitchen – when Tom suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing.
Leanne swiftly called for an ambulance and began CPR on Tom until the paramedics arrived, however once they had reached the scene and performed CPR for a further 50 minutes, they broke the tragic news he had died.
She said: “We were married in August 2018 – we only had a little town hall registry office wedding and then we had a reception at the Bridge Inn in Yatton.
“Everyone just loved it, it’s not always about what you spend, it’s about making a good day for each other.
“Come December we both had the flu and didn’t think much of it went, it went on for about two weeks so I took him to the doctor who said his heart was a bit fast but it was nothing to worry about and prescribed him some steroids.
“We got up on Sunday January 6 and were laughing and joking ten minutes before – the next thing he’s collapsed and while I was on the phone to the paramedics, he stopped breathing.”
Leanne did CPR until the paramedics arrived but fter fifty minutes they said they were sorry but he was gone.
“I obviously wanted to find out what caused the death – it came back that he had bronchitis, pneumonia and an enlarged heart, and with those three things going on his organs just went down.
She took along time to deal with Tom’s death and struggled to move on.
Leanne added: “I spent two and a half years not wanting to live or move on but you have to for the kids, it’s taken us a long time but they’re starting to live – especially my youngest daughter who suffered the most.
“Tom was a very loud but loveable person – he’d do anything for anybody, you’d certainly know when he was in a room and he would do anything for the ones he loved.
“We’ve just been talking and opening up about it and talking to one another as a family, every anniversary we always light some candles – he was a big part of our lives and he’s never forgotten.
“Even if it helps somebody to know that as much as you feel like there is no way out, there is – the sun will shine again and you can carry on with life and carry them with you.
“When you’re in that you don’t think there is a way out, but there is.”