'My husband's blasé attitude to his minor symptoms cost him his life'

"Dave's blasé attitude to his health cost him his life" - a crushing revelation from a wife who locked eyes with her "soulmate" as he took his final breath.

Rachael Smith 36, spoke of the heart-wrenching last moments in her husband's gruelling three-month cancer battle. Her husband, Dave Smith, a chemical engineer consultant, tragically died at home aged just 58 on May 28.

He suffered a rapid decline after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on February 2, 2024. Dave had earlier dismissed persistent abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits for over a year - symptoms that were initially believed to be age-related by doctors.

READ MORE: Infected blood victims granted compensation for life but outrage over 'insulting' payments for some

Dave's condition worsened as he lost four stones and eventually decided that the physical toll was too much to undergo chemotherapy, choosing to spend his last days at home. Describing the emotional final moments, Rachael said: "His eyes were just wide open and he was just staring straight at me, I could see myself in his eyes, and he just took his last breath."

"They say people wait to die in the moment they want to die, and I actually think there's some truth in that he wanted me there and he wanted me to look at him when he was going."

Rachael's heartfelt story is now a message to others about taking health concerns seriously, drawing attention to the importance of recognising "minor symptoms" that could lead to early detection of lethal diseases like pancreatic cancer. "I held his hand and said that I loved him it was traumatic but it was also a relief that he wasn't in pain anymore," said Rachael, who lives in Newcastle.

"Dave's blasé attitude to his health cost him his life."