The pain of loss and heartbreak

Mike Wakely  |  Features
Date posted:  4 May 2026
Share Add       
The pain of loss and heartbreak

Photo: iStock

I have been married for 53 years, a happy and fulfilling life in partnership with a wonderful lady from Sweden. I met her on a summer Christian mission in France in 1967. We were going door to door selling Christian books and sharing the gospel. We were married in Sweden in April 1972, our name and the date of our marriage engraved on our simple gold wedding rings.

My wife fell ill in 2022 and commenced a slow decline in health both in body and mind. I became her full-time carer. We had made our vows “in sickness and in health” and it was my privilege to look after her, learning new skills in shopping, cooking, gardening, cleaning and many other household chores. The specialists and nurses of the NHS were superb. We installed a stair lift and I bought a bath lift, but she became weaker until one day (on my birthday) she fell and broke her leg. It led to five weeks in hospital and she finally died on 7 October 2025.

I was, and remain, heartbroken. My wife has been the love of my life, a wonderful Christian who knew why she was here and where she was going. I have shed many tears and learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can be of benefit to others.

Share
< Previous article| Features| Next article >
Read more articles on:   death
Read more articles by Mike Wakely >>
Features
Pakistan’s little-known Christian story

Pakistan’s little-known Christian story

In a small town in western Punjab, now in northern Pakistan, there lived a Hindu from a caste of farmers. …

World
‘If you really want to help us …’

‘If you really want to help us …’

A Pakistani Christian leader called Ashley said to me 21 years ago: ‘Mike, if you really want to help our …

Subscribe

Enjoy our monthly paper and full online access for just £40/year

Find out more

Need to advertise?

We can help you reach Christians across the country

Find out more