Terminally ill S'porean cancer patient stops breathing -- but heartbeat continues for 5 hours before passing

After getting diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, and suffering a relapse in 2013, a 56-year-old female travel agency manager literally fought on till her dying breath and beyond, when her heart continued beating for 5 hours even after she stopped drawing air. 

The deceased lived with her husband and the couple have no kids.

In 2013, the deceased was shocked when she went for a checkup and discovered cancer cells in her liver, reports Lianhe Wanbao.

She had thought that she was cured after the cancer went into remission 6 months before. 

For the next four years, she soldiered through her conditions, and had to take her medications eight times a day, along with chemotherapy, causing her hair to fall. 

Despite all these, she remained hopeful and optimistic. 

Unfortunately, her conditions worsened in Apr 2016, and she was admitted into the hospital 10 times since then.

During her last admission in Feb 2017, she was in a visibly weakened state, and unable to converse, merely nodding or shaking her head.

She was pronounced dead in the hospital on Thursday (Mar 9). 

The deceased’s husband, a 57-year-old pastor with her 59-year-old sister told reporters told reporters that the deceased had been a ‘fighter’ and never gave up despite her cancer.

Said the elder sister:

“Ever since she had a full body spasm and was admitted at the start of the year (2017), we had been mentally preparing ourselves.

“We knew she didn’t have long.

“However, on the following day after her admission, she suddenly told us that she wanted to be discharged and have a reunion dinner with us.

“She really got discharged and we had that dinner as promised.

“Even to her dying breath, she did not give up.

“When we discovered she wasn't breathing at 7am on Thursday (Mar 9), we were surprised that her heart continued beating still.

“At first the doctor thought it was a technical error from the machines, and swapped the machine, but the results were the same.

“Our family member gathered and told her how much we missed her and pleaded with her to wake up.

“The strange thing was, whenever we mentioned that, her heart beat would accelerate.

“When we realise that she really wouldn’t be able to make it, we started bidding her farewell.

“I even told her that I would care for husband in her absence.

“As soon as I told her that, her heartbeat decreased until it finally stopped at 11.57am.”

When asked about his wife, the distraught husband said:

“She is our pride.”