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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British mother who died of rabies from puppy scratch on holiday had 'horrendous' death, daughter reveals
The daughter of a British woman who died of rabies after she was scratched by a puppy on holiday has spoken of her mother's 'horrendous' death. Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was scratched on the leg by a small stray puppy lying under her sunbed while on holiday in Morocco with her husband in February - but thought nothing of it at the time. Many months later, the grandmother-of-four started suffering from a 'horrendous' headache and was admitted to Barnsley Hospital. Within days, she could not walk, talk, sleep or swallow. She started hallucinating, and developed a fear of water. Yvonne was transferred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where she was eventually diagnosed with the rare but devastating virus. She died on June 11. Her daughter Robyn Thomson, 32, has spoken of how the deathly disease that stole her mother. Neonatal nurse Robyn said: '[Mum] was the most loving person imaginable. She had the biggest heart. 'She was my best friend and the most fantastic grandparent to mine and my brother's children. 'She was a huge animal lover so for her to have died of rabies - it is just particularly horrendous. 'She will be missed so dearly.' Robyn said her mother's death was a huge shock to the whole family - especially as it took so long for her to develop symptoms. She was scratched in February - and died four months later. She said: 'She and dad were on a holiday in Morocco and they were on a private beach next to the hotel. 'There was a puppy underneath mum's sunbed and it scratched her leg. 'There was no blood and no evidence of the dog being unwell. It was such a mild scratch and it never got infected so we just thought nothing of it at the time. 'Mum came home and everything was normal. We went to Florida as a family and she went fishing with my dad. 'But in June she came down with this horrendous headache. She was in a lot of pain so went to hospital. The family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show - but the deadly disease can incubate for up to two years 'Soon, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't walk, she couldn't talk. She was hallucinating and had a fear of water. 'She couldn't swallow. She was choking on her own saliva. So doctors put her in an induced coma. 'It wasn't until over a week later that she was diagnosed with rabies. 'There's only one outcome for rabies once symptoms develop and it's death every time. So we had to turn off her life support.' The family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show - but the deadly disease can incubate for up to two years. Now, Robyn wants to spread awareness for rabies - and help stop it at the source via a charity mission in Cambodia. The mother-of-two has launched a GoFundMe and is appealing for help from the public. She said: 'This is something I need to do. If I can save even one life through this work, or spare one family from going through the pain we have experienced, then it will be turning a terrible negative into something positive. 'I'm determined to transform my grief into action - helping vaccinate dogs, support surveillance efforts, and deliver life-saving lessons in schools.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
‘One tiny scratch from rabid puppy killed mum'
The daughter of a British woman who died of rabies after she was scratched by a puppy on holiday in Morocco has revealed the 'horrendous' symptoms she suffered. Yvonne Ford went months without realising she had been infected by a puppy that was underneath her sunbed in February, said her daughter Robyn Thomson, 32. Ms Ford, 59, from Barnsley, started suffering from a 'horrendous' headache and was admitted to hospital four months later. Within days, she could not walk, talk, sleep or swallow. She started hallucinating and developed a fear of water, classic symptoms of rabies. The grandmother of four was transferred from Barnsley to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where she was eventually diagnosed with rabies. She died on June 11. Her daughter, a neonatal nurse, said: 'There was no blood and no evidence of the dog being unwell. 'It was such a mild scratch and it never got infected so we just thought nothing of it at the time. Mum came home and everything was normal. We went to Florida as a family and she went fishing with my dad.' In June, the symptoms began and she 'came down with this horrendous headache'. She added: 'Soon, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't walk, she couldn't talk. She was hallucinating and had a fear of water. 'She couldn't swallow. She was choking on her own saliva. So doctors put her in an induced coma.' The UK Health Security Agency has warned that holidaymakers should exercise caution around animals in countries where the disease is present. Egypt, Turkey and Albania are among the destinations that the Government has ascribed as 'high risk'. It advises that all visitors to rabies-affected countries 'should avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for rabies vaccine prior to travel'. Costa Rica, Bali, Mexico, Vietnam and South Africa are also rated 'high risk'. It took a week for Ms Ford to be diagnosed. 'There's only one outcome for rabies once symptoms develop and it's death every time. So we had to turn off her life support,' said her daughter. Ms Ford's family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show – but the disease can incubate for up to two years. She added: 'Mum was the most loving person imaginable. She was a huge animal lover so for her to have died of rabies, it is just particularly horrendous.' Now, Ms Thomson wants to spread awareness and help stop it at the source via a charity mission in Cambodia. She is flying out to the south-east Asian country this October to volunteer with Mission Rabies – an award-winning charity that leads mass dog vaccination campaigns, rabies surveillance and vital community education across Asia and Africa. Their goal is to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the dog population to achieve herd immunity and stop rabies at its source, while also educating children on how to recognise rabid animals and stay safe. To volunteer with Rabies Mission, Ms Thomson needs to raise money to cover the cost of travel, accommodation and project fees. She said: 'This is something I need to do. If I can save even one life through this work, or spare one family from going through the pain we have experienced, then it will be turning a terrible negative into something positive. 'I'm determined to transform my grief into action – helping vaccinate dogs, support surveillance efforts and deliver life-saving lessons in schools.'
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Leeds mum takes up Ironman challenge despite stage-four cancer
Last year, mother-of-two Hannah Corne was told she had a year to live after cancer spread to her liver. Fourteen months on, the 44-year-old is set to take part in Leeds Ironman - one of the toughest tests of endurance an athlete can undergo."It was to prove people wrong," says Hannah, from Roundhay."I thought if I have a goal to get to, then I'm not going to die before I get there."And it was also to prove that even when you've got a devastating diagnosis, life does go on and you can live well." It was back in March 2019 that a regular eye check-up found something in Hannah's left was referred to Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital where she was diagnosed with ocular melanoma - a rare eye cancer. Three weeks later she had surgery to remove her eye and at first wore an eye patch before being fitted with a prosthetic."It was a massive shock," she recalls."You go from normal everyday life to having half your vision removed. It impacts everything you do every day."It was at her fifth annual scan following surgery, in April 2024, that Hannah was told the cancer had spread to her liver and was stage four. "Everything you read and everything you know is that when it metastasises to your liver, it's pretty much game over."The first thing you think about is your kids and your family. It was really devastating."A few weeks after the secondary diagnosis, Hannah saw an advert for Ironman, which takes place on is the first time the event, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run, is being held in hilly course promises to be a tough test of endurance for the fittest of triathletes, but that did not put Hannah says: "It's been a massive distraction and has given me a sense of purpose."The kids can see me get up and do something every day."I'm raising money for charity, which has been a big factor of it and the support I'm getting from people who I haven't seen in years is a really big motivation."So far, Hannah has raised more than £13,000 for charity Ocular Melanoma founder and CEO Jo Gumbs says Hannah's strength and determination are "genuinely inspiring"."We honestly can't thank Hannah enough."She's an extraordinary woman who's taken on a huge challenge, all while juggling so much in her own life."She says the money means the charity can keep running its vital services including its helpline, psychological support and online community groups. Meanwhile, Hannah's training has been inconsistent because, while still working, she is also having immunotherapy aim of this is to control tumour growth for as long as possible, but it can have side Hannah, these include fatigue and sickness as well as pain from the tumours themselves."One tumour in particular has grown quite significantly over the last four months and that can cause pain," she says."But I keep saying to myself - if you can get through the bike, you can finish a marathon. It's just a marathon." That steely determination is something her husband Andrew Bell will be cheering on Hannah alongside their two children, 14-year-old Flo and 12-year-old Bertie."Hannah's a tough cookie - very determined, stubborn, but also a caring, passionate person who's very empathetic as well."All those qualities make her particularly special. The kids and I are incredibly proud of her."Some 2,500 people will descend on Roundhay Park Lake in Leeds to take part in the will have their own personal reasons to test their physical and mental resilience to the for Hannah, this means says: "It means that I'm still alive. It means that I'm still fighting it. It means that the kids can see it's not over yet." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
