A heartwrenching photo captured the poignant moment of a loyal couple lying side by side for the last time before they both passed away from cancer.
69-year-old Lynne Johnson had been battling an aggressive brain tumor, while her husband, 76-year-old Chris Johnson, was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer.
The couple, who had been married for 52 years and rarely spent a day apart, were cared for together in the same end-of-life care room in their final days.
A photo shows the couple lying next to each other, allowing them to hold hands one last time.
After the photo was taken at Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Lynne passed away on February 13, followed by Chris on February 21.
Their daughter, Julie Whittaker, shared the touching photo as a tribute to her beloved parents.
“Dad was waiting for Mom’s last breath,” Whittaker said. “He held her hand, finding much comfort in it.”
“When Mom passed, it took him a few days to accept it. On Saturday, tears streaming down his face, he asked, ‘Has Lynne really gone?'”
The loss of his wife left him devastated. He gave up, refusing to eat or drink.
“If Mom was still alive, I don’t think he would have died that day,” Whittaker remarked.
Chris first met Lynne when he was a milkman on the go.
Their relationship blossomed, and the couple tied the knot in June 1972. They later had two children – Gary Johnson and Ms. Whittaker.
The Johnsons spent most of their time together, rarely apart.
“They did everything together,” Whittaker said. “Except for work, they were never apart. They were true soulmates.”
Before retiring, Chris worked as a bus driver. In October 2023, he was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer. Three months later, Lynne, a former nurse, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor.
The couple moved into adjoining rooms at the hospice, where staff made their final wish to be together in their last days a reality.
“The care was outstanding, not just for Mom and Dad but for all of us, end-of-life care has been there from the beginning and still is,” said Whittaker. “If they couldn’t both be cared for together, we’d be devastated, having to choose who to care for.”
Being together allowed their family to spend more time with them both.
Whittaker is grateful for the hospice’s unwavering support. Chris was able to enjoy wine, and his brother Alwyn would bring their dog Tess to visit them daily.
“When Dad passed, Alwyn and Tess were there, which was special for him,” said Whittaker.
Reflecting on her parents’ passing, she said, “Even today, it doesn’t feel real. They’ve not been gone long. How did they go? It was a whirlwind, everything happened so fast.”
She is now advocating for more government funding to ensure more people have access to end-of-life care.
“Not only should everyone have access to the care my parents received, but it will also alleviate pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) when patients are in hospice care rather than in the hospital,” she stated. “For the hospice staff, nothing is too much trouble, they have so much love and compassion.”
“I hope more families can receive the care we did.”
The original article titled “Devoted Couple Lie Side-by-Side and Held Hands for the Last Time Before Both of Them Lost Their Battle With Cancer” was published on The Epoch Times website.