My husband and I were saving for a Disney honeymoon – but he died six months after our wedding and I had to use the money to pay for his funeral instead

A heartbroken widow whose husband died of an undiagnosed heart condition just six months after they married had to spend their honeymoon fund on his funeral.

Primary school teacher Edward Burr, 32, and Laura Burr, 31, were looking forward to a Disney honeymoon when disaster struck.

The first sign that something was wrong was the day after his wedding. 

Mr Burr simply felt ‘under the weather’, but put this down to a possible bug he may have caught while being in close proximity to 60 people. 

However, after suffering a shortness of breath two weeks later, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and heart failure.

Despite having a heart pump fitted and months of specialist treatment, he never recovered died unexpectedly in October 2024. 

Doctors decided to switch off his life support machine while he awaited a heart transplant and Laura held his hand as he died 186 days after they wed.

‘We played him his favourite music, and my sister read him a poem,’ Laura said.

Primary school teacher Edward Burr, 32, and Laura Burr, 31, were looking forward to a Disney honeymoon when disaster struck

Mr Burr simply felt ‘under the weather’, but put this down to a possible bug he may have caught while being in close proximity to 60 people

However, after suffering a shortness of breath two weeks later, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and heart failure

‘And, 186 days after marrying him, I held his hand as he died.’

The couple had been saving up to go away for a honeymoon – adding money into the ‘pot’ at the end of each month, as well as wedding donations.

But the money, which Laura said ‘would’ve been enough to take them to Disney,’ was spent on Ed’s funeral.

Laura is now campaigning for mandatory ‘health MOTs’ for people aged 30 and over – currently the minimum age is 40 for men and women.

She believes this simple test could have saved his life by revealing heart abnormalities via a blood pressure and cholesterol checks.

Laura, a helpline operator from Banbury, Oxfordshire, said: ‘If Ed had received a health MOT at 30, the absolute minimum is that I would’ve had more time with him.

‘At his funeral, I couldn’t stop wondering: “How did we get here?”

Fit and healthy Edward Burr (pictured) died unexpectedly in October 2024 after suffering with an underlying heart condition

‘It was crazy – we were newlyweds who were supposed to be arguing over who does the dishes, and who’s cooking dinner.’

Ed and Laura walked down the aisle at Banbury United Reformed Church on April 6, 2024.

The next day Ed began complaining of ‘hot and cold sweats,’ preventing him from sleeping all night.

Thinking he just had a cold, the primary school teacher ‘dosed up’ on vitamin C, cold and flu tablets.

Two weeks later, on April 21, Ed began suffering from shortness of breath – which couldn’t be alleviated with an inhaler.

‘We went to A&E at Horton General Hospital,’ Laura said.

‘He had an EKG and blood tests; he was diagnosed with pneumonia and told to come for a follow-up appointment on May 2.’

Ed’s condition didn’t get any better, and on April 30, an ambulance was sent to take him back to hospital for admission.

Laura is now campaigning for mandatory ‘health MOTs’ for people aged 30 and over – currently the minimum age is 40 for men and women. Pictured: Edward Burr

On May 2, the day of the originally-scheduled follow-up, Ed was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for further investigations.

Doctors couldn’t pinpoint the infection which caused his pneumonia – and were trying to treat his heart failure at the same time.

Laura added: ‘Ed’s doctors said he’d be easier to treat if he had heart failure or pneumonia – but because he had both, they had to prioritise which one was causing him more damage.’

The care team kept Ed admitted for seven weeks, before discharging him home.

Laura was told to keep an eye out for any deterioration, including tiredness and lethargy – and on July 13, after three weeks at home and a night in Horton General Hospital, Ed was readmitted to JRH.

On July 19, Ed had a biventricular assist device (BIVAD) fitted, which is designed to support the ventricles if they aren’t pumping blood to the heart properly.

But he had to remain closely monitored, in-and-out of ICU for a further two months, when he was placed on the heart transplant list.

‘The weekend of October 3, I had a very strange feeling,’ Laura said.

 It’s estimated that around 400,000 people in the UK with heart failure are undiagnosed, according to studies. Pictured: Edward Burr

‘Not unusually, the chaplain came to bless Ed – which he did, every Sunday. But this time, while he was reading the prayer, I started sobbing, uncontrollably.’

Laura, her twin and Ed’s dad were ‘politely kicked out’ as visiting hours finished at 7:30pm.

Four hours later, while on the phone to a friend, Laura received a phone call from the hospital – telling her Ed had taken a turn for the worse.

Grabbing Jenny, Ed’s childhood teddy bear, Laura, her parents and Ed’s dad made their way back to the hospital.

A doctor pulled the family into a side room, and told them Ed’s BIVAD machine was dying, and his life support machine would need to be switched off.

Laura is now pouring her energy into her new campaign, which she has co-founded with friend Gabriella Evans, who lost her husband, Tom, 34, to an undiagnosed heart condition.    

It’s estimated that around 400,000 people in the UK with heart failure are undiagnosed, according to studies.

And roughly 10 per cent of all patients are under 50.

Heart failure is when the organ is unable to pump blood around the body properly, likely because it has become weak or stiff. This leads to reduced oxygen and nutrients to the organs and tissues.

The condition is typically caused by lifestyle-related problems that strain the heart, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (when cholesterol clogs the arteries).

Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs and ankles, irregular heartbeats, dizziness, nausea, and pain in the arms, jaw, or back.

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