Heartbreak as beloved dad dies suddenly in Spain - months after wife's devastating diagnosis
11.04.2023 - 17:13
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mum-of-three has spoken of her heartbreak after losing her father months after her mother's own devastating cancer diagnosis.
Gemma Pana's mum, Sandra Navin was diagnosed with terminal cancer in March last year, leaving her husband Graham, and the couple's four children, in pieces.
Graham planned a getaway to Spain for his wife last September, along with Gemma's sister Kelly, so the family could enjoy one final holiday together before her condition deteriorated.
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But tragically, whilst on that trip, Graham was found unresponsive after taking a nap in the family's apartment, and later died. The family understand he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Gemma and her siblings rallied around their mum, but their lives were shattered again last week when Sandra succumbed to her illness, after the cancer spread to her blood.
Speaking to the M.E.N, Gemma, from Salford, spoke of her trauma as she urged other family's to appreciate the precious time they have with each other.
"They were great parents," Gemma said. "They lived in Bacup in Lancashire but I moved to Salford with my husband and kids. Even so, I visited them every weekend.
"My mum was diagnosed with cancer last March. It started with endometrial cancer but then it spread to her bones and lymph nodes. She had chemotherapy but then it spread to her blood and the treatment wasn't working anymore.
"She was only 58 when she was diagnosed. She'd never had any health issues before this. She never smoked a cigarette in her life and didn't drink either."
Gemma said that following the news of her mum's diagnosis, her father, Graham, who was 10 years older, struggled to cope with the idea of his wife