A HEARTBROKEN woman has revealed footage of the last kiss she shared with her husband – who died in her arms after he became too weak to eat or drink.
NHS worker Laura Oddy, 34, has opened up about watching her “hero” wife die of malnutrition and bowel failure after suffering multi-organ failure.
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Laura and Michelle shared a final kiss before she passed away peacefully Credit: Laura Oddy
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Michelle woke up one morning with a hole in her stomach Credit: Laura Oddy
Laura met Michelle, 47, on Facebook 12 years ago and moved in with her and her daughter Keira, 19, just six months after meeting.
Michelle had suffered from Crohn’s disease since she was 14, which was well under control until 2014 when she woke up with a hole in her stomach after her fistula ruptured.
This led to multiple organ failure and the need for a rare five-organ transplant to save her life, which included a new colon and small intestine, intestines, pancreas and liver.
After years of waiting for a transplant and being kept alive by Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), she found herself too weak to continue treatment and died of malnutrition and intestinal failure in July 2023.
Laura was married to Michelle for five years and managed to have one last conversation with her before she died.
Grieving Laura said: “Two photos bring back memories of the worst days of my life.
“But I will keep them because they were our last photos together and it was our last kiss.
“Her clothes are still hanging, her toothbrush is still in the bathroom.
“I still say goodnight to her every night when I go to sleep.
“I made it this far without her just because she would have wanted me to.”
“I know I’m making her proud and that’s what keeps me going.
– I miss him a lot.
“Her clothes are still hanging and her toothbrush is still in the bathroom, I miss her so much.”
Laura Oddy
When Laura and Michelle were told that she wouldn’t live to see 2023, they sat down and had one last conversation together where Michelle made Laura promise not to “do anything stupid”.
Laura said: “She knew how wrapped up I had been looking after her for so many years, so she was worried about how I would cope with her death.
“She told me ‘don’t you dare do something stupid, don’t even think about it, if not for you, do it for Keira’.
“She told me that from now on I’ll be Keira’s mom because she won’t be here much longer.
“However, she managed to make me laugh because she told me to make sure I eat properly, and she also told our whole family to tell me to do the same.
“Even though she didn’t know how to eat herself, and she herself was never much of a cook either.
“She told me not to think about her death and to move on as fast as I could, she just wanted me to make her proud.”
Michelle died in Laura’s arms in July 2023, and since then Laura has made it her mission to rebuild her life in Michelle’s honor.
Laura said: “She’s with me every day and everything I do is for her – knowing I’m making her proud is what keeps me going.”
In 2014, Michelle, from Derby, woke up to find her 10-year-old caesarean scar had exploded and was oozing blood and faeces as a fistula tore through her stomach and left her with multi-organ failure.
She then began to lose weight dramatically – eventually weighing just four stone – and her organs “packed up” leaving her with just days to live.
But the brave fighter was able to carry on and endured countless grueling hospital stays as nurses injected liquid nutrition directly into her major arteries six times a week.
Years of treatment had left her exhausted, we knew more would kill her.
Laura Oddy
Michelle fought on for another three years before receiving the terrifying news that she would need a rare multi-organ transplant – or die.
The life-saving operation would take 20 hours, giving Michelle a 35 per cent chance of dying on the operating table – but if successful, she could live her life again.
Unfortunately, in 2023, it was decided that she would not survive the operation and she died in Laura’s arms as a result of malnutrition and intestinal failure – as her body could no longer process food or liquid.
Laura said: “The transplant never happened because she was told about four months before that she was too ill to have it.
“Ironic actually because that was the reason she needed it.
“At the same meeting, she was told that she would probably only have a year left.
“She couldn’t take total parenteral nutrition (TPN) anymore because her veins were filling up, so it was really just a waiting game.
“We decided to bring her home so she could have a chance to recover with her family and spend Christmas with us.
“We had palliative care nurses visiting the house three times a day to give her medication and end-of-life care.
“She was in a wheelchair because she was too weak. She was just going downhill fast.”
WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE?
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes swelling and irritation of a person’s digestive tract.
People suffering from this condition will usually have symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss, rectal bleeding and diarrhoea.
The NHS website says a person should see their GP if they have blood in their stools, diarrhea for more than 7 days, frequent stomach pains or cramps, or if they have lost weight for no reason.
There is no cure for the condition, but there are some medications and procedures that people suffering from the condition can use.
Steroid pills can reduce inflammation in the digestive system, while other drugs can stop the inflammation from recurring, and surgery can completely remove a small part of the digestive system.
In July 2023, Michelle went into hospital again for what was believed to be a two-day stay until her pain relief was adjusted – but she never went home.
Laura said: “When we got there, her counselor pulled me aside and told me she only had a few days left.
“Truly a tragedy after so many years of fighting, then waiting for this big transplant that was supposed to save her.”
Before she died, Michelle told Laura to make the most of her life while learning how to live without her.
Laura said: “When we knew she was coming to an end, all she wanted was for us all to live our lives – she was happy knowing Keira would be taken care of.”
In Michelle’s honor and to pay back the NHS after they tirelessly tried to keep Michelle alive for five years, she now works for the health system’s 111 service.
Laura said: “I could have crashed and burned so many times I lost it – but the motivation behind this business keeps me going.
“I promised her that I would get this job and do this job in her honor and she couldn’t stop smiling when I told her.
“We all miss her every day, but we know how proud she would be to know that her daughter is doing very well at university and that I have found a career that supports me.”
For more information contact Crohn’s and Colitis UK via this link.
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Laura said she still had Michelle’s clothes hanging up and wished her good night before bed Credit: Laura Oddy
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During their last conversation together, Michelle told Laura to be proud Credit: Laura Oddy
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Michelle’s daughter Keira has gone on to university and still lives with Laura during the holidaysCredit: Laura Oddy
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Source: HIS Education