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A British mother-of-three collapsed and died as she delivered a eulogy at her father-in-law’s funeral.
39-year-old Sarah Healey’s family say “life will never be the same” after the tragedy, which was witnessed by her partner and three children.
Healey was delivering a tribute to her father-in-law Roy West at theSlough Crematorium in Berkshire in November last year when she collapsed.
It is believed she suffered a cardiac arrest, although she had no history of heart trouble, The Leader reported.
Her grieving partner James West and three children aged 16, 7 and 6 were also at the service.
“Sarah suddenly fell to the ground during her eulogy,” her mother Gladys Healey told The Leader.
“It seems that Sarah had suffered an attack of arrhythmia or a cardiac arrest. She had no history of any heart trouble and we’re all devastated by her sudden death,” she said, adding that the death was a “terrible blow”.
Healey was a nurse with a background in accident and emergency and oncology who had started her own aesthetics business in 2019 in Windsor and had built up a significant clientele.
“Losing my older and only sister has been the hardest thing I have ever experienced,” her sister Trisha said.
Trisha, who also attended the funeral, said the pair had “an extremely close bond that only sisters will experience”.
“Life will never be the same,” she said.
Sarah Healey’s father Dave has also spoken out about surviving his grief, saying he has “read a great deal” on the process and acknowledging that “everyone has their own journey”.
“One of the most valuable things I have learned is that, rather than falling into absolute despair, you can try to do something worthwhile in memory of the loved one,” he said.