2 days ago
I used our honeymoon fund to pay for my husband's funeral after he died unexpectedly
Laura Burr had only been married for six months when she held her husband's hand as he died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Now, the 31-year-old from Oxfordshire is campaigning for health MOTs to be offered from the age of 30 – something she believes could have saved his life.
Currently, free NHS checks are only offered to people aged 40 and over, but Laura says that's too late for many. "If Ed had been tested earlier, even a basic blood pressure or cholesterol check might have given us a warning," she says.
Laura, from Banbury, married her "funny, kind, and chaotic" soulmate Edward in April 2024 in a small ceremony surrounded by loved ones. But, just 186 days later she was holding his hand as doctors turned off his life support machine.
Edward Burr, a 32-year-old primary school teacher, began experiencing flu-like symptoms the day after their wedding. Initially, it seemed like a bad cold.
"He was getting hot and cold sweats, and couldn't sleep,' Laura recalls. 'We thought he just needed rest and vitamin C."
Within weeks, Ed was struggling to breathe. A trip to A&E led to a diagnosis of pneumonia and heart failure – two serious conditions doctors struggled to treat at the same time.
"We were told he'd be easier to treat if it was just one or the other," Laura says. "But because he had both, it was more complicated. They didn't know which was causing the most damage."
Ed spent seven weeks in hospital before being discharged with strict monitoring instructions.
After a brief return home, he was readmitted and fitted with a biventricular assist device (BIVAD) to help his heart pump blood. He was placed on the transplant list – but he never made it to surgery.
If Ed had received a health MOT at 30, even if it didn't save him, I might have had more time with him
In early October, Laura sensed something wasn't right. "The chaplain came to bless him like he always did, but that time I just broke down sobbing," she says.
Just hours later, she got a call to say Ed had taken a turn for the worse. "They told us his BIVAD machine was failing and they couldn't keep him going. I played his favourite music and my sister read him a poem," Laura says. "And then, I held his hand as he died."
Instead of spending their honeymoon fund on a trip to Disneyland the couple had dreamed of, Laura says she used it to pay for his funeral.
Now, Laura is campaigning for change. She's calling for NHS health checks (currently only offered to people aged 40 and over) to be made available from age 30 – a move she believes could save lives.
"If Ed had received a health MOT at 30, even if it didn't save him, I might have had more time with him," she says.
"At his funeral, I kept thinking: how did we get here? We were newlyweds. We should've been arguing over dinner plans, not saying goodbye."
Laura has teamed up with friend Gabriella Evans, who also lost her husband, Tom, 34, to an undiagnosed heart condition. Together, they are campaigning for earlier, routine health screenings including blood pressure and cholesterol checks.
The pair released The Podcast That Shouldn't Exist earlier this month.
In the first episode, Laura told how she walked down the aisle at the wedding and the funeral to the same music, from her husband's favourite film series Lord Of The Rings.
"People in their 30s think they're too young for this stuff," Laura says. "But I'm living proof that you're not."
The check is a free check-up of your overall health and sees everyone aged over 40 assessed for their risk of developing a heart or circulatory condition such as heart disease, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes or stroke in the next 10 years.
Everyone aged 40-74 who does not have a pre-existing condition should be offered the NHS Health Check at least once every five years.
If you have any of the following pre-existing conditions, the NHS says you're not eligible as you should be seen more frequently:
heart disease
chronic kidney disease
diabetes
high blood pressure (hypertension)
atrial fibrillation
transient ischaemic attack
inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)
heart failure
peripheral arterial disease
stroke
currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
Each year, around 20% of people eligible for one of these checks are invited to come forward, with a view to reach the entire eligible population in a five-year cycle.
Additional reporting by SWNS
Read more about heart health:
4 possible benefits of alcohol as champagne may lower risk of sudden cardiac arrest (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
What to know about common heart defect as Emma Willis undergoes surgery (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
People's heart health in the UK declining rapidly in 'worrying trend (PA Media, 3-min read)
