Edinburgh woman 'heartbroken' after her mum and stepdad die within eight weeks of each other

An Edinburgh man died of a broken heart, just weeks after he lost his beloved partner of 29 years.

Robert Japp, known as Bob, was devastated by the loss of his wife Matilda, who went by Matty.

The couple met in 1993 at a party, and according to Matilda’s daughter Kelly, they hadn’t spend a day apart since.

However, in May, Matty, who suffered from COPD, fell seriously ill with an infection and was hospitalised.

She was diagnosed with terminal delirium and was taken home to be cared for by her family members. Matty died at home, surrounded by her loved ones, on June 29.

Her husband Bob struggled with the loss of his long-term companion, and shortly after the funeral, he became withdrawn and stopped eating and drinking.

He became seriously unwell, and was eventually taken into hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. While doctors did everything they could to treat him, his condition quickly worsened.

Edinburgh couple Matty and Bob died within eight weeks of each other.

On August 25, eight weeks after his wife’s death, the 55-year-old died in hospital.

His stepdaughter, Kelly Hunter, said: “He gave up, he had no fight left in him. He said that he really wanted to be with my mum.

"I think he died of a broken heart."

Friends and family have paid tribute to the couple. One wrote: “So so sad and sorry to hear of your massive losses”, while another described Matty and Bob’s relationship as a “powerful love story”.

The couple on their wedding day.

Kelly, who said she is “heartbroken”, took time off work to care for her mum and stepdad. Now, she is struggling to pay for the two funerals in such a short period of time.

"It’s had a huge impact on our finances”, she said.

Already in debt from her mum’s funeral, Kelly has launched a fundraising page to raise money to give her parents the send off they deserve.

While Kelly admitted she is embarrassed asking for help, she said: “It’s the only choice we had.”

So far, £2,382 has been donated, however, this is only a fraction of the £10,000 that Kelly is paying for her mum and stepdad’s funerals.

You can help Kelly with funeral costs by donating to her GoFundMe page here.