Woman suffers fatal heart attack at funeral for mom who died of coronavirus
A 32-year-old British woman suffered a fatal heart attack while attending the funeral for her coronavirus-stricken mother, according to a report.
Laura Richards, 32, began experiencing chest pains Tuesday while her mother, Julie Murphy, 63, was being buried at Atherstone Cemetery in Warwickshire, according to The Sun.
Richards’ sister Lisa Green said she, her husband and other sister Kelly Murphy desperately tried to administer CPR, taking turns to keep the woman alive before paramedics arrived.
But despite their efforts, Richards, who had underlying health problems that affected her heart, was declared dead at a hospital, the news outlet reported.
“Everyone was really upset and Laura said she was light-headed and had pains in her chest,” Green told the news outlet. “We thought it was just anxiety at first but then I called 999.”
Richards’ half-sister Sadie, 45 — who was unable to attend the funeral because she had a kidney transplant and is at high risk for the coronavirus – said her daughter was among the few relatives who attended the service.
“They were lowering my mum into the ground and Laura suddenly said, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,’” Sadie told The Sun.
“But there was nothing that could be done. She had a massive heart attack,” she said. “To lose your sister at your mum’s funeral – it’s like a horror film. She was only 32.”
Murphy, who had suffered from multiple sclerosis and dementia, died March 15 after contracting COVID-19 in a nursing home. She was buried next to her husband, who died in 2012, the outlet reported.
Richards was buried next to her mother — with only five people in attendance due to lockdown rules.
“We had to wear masks when we saw mum in the hospital just before she died, and I think it really upset Laura seeing her in that environment,” Sadie said.
“She hadn’t been out of the house until the funeral. Losing mum must have really affected her,” she added. “I think her body just gave up on her.”
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