A man who appeared to have persistent hiccups and heartburn was told he had just days to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Chris Leonard, from Rochdale, was 58-years-old when he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer.
He was diagnosed only weeks after his first symptoms appeared, with his loved ones initially believing he may have had gallstones or hepatitis. Doctors then gave him the devastating diagnosis.
Sam, 51, was with Chris for more than three decades before he tragically passed away seven months ago.
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She said: “Everything happened so quickly that it never felt real. We went from thinking he had heartburn to being told he had cancer, and then being told he only had days left to live. There wasn’t time to sit and process any of it because every ounce of energy went into making the most of whatever time we had left together.
“I remember thinking we still had years ahead of us. We had plans, we were looking forward to retirement, travelling more and seeing what life would bring next. Suddenly all of that disappeared.”
In September 2025, shortly before the couple was due to travel to Greece, Chris began suffering from persistent hiccups and heartburn.
They didn’t think the symptoms were serious, and, despite Sam’s concerns, they decided to go ahead with their holiday. Chris began struggling to eat, drank very little and seemed increasingly unwell throughout the trip.
When they returned home, Sam insisted he book a GP appointment, but there were none available for a week and, during that time, his condition deteriorated further.
Sam and Chris first met in 1993(Image: The Widowed Collective/Sam Leonard)
By the time he was finally seen, he had begun developing jaundice and scans revealed cholangiocarcinoma. Within days, Chris underwent surgery to fit a stent and further tests were carried out to determine the extent of the disease.
Although discussions began about palliative chemotherapy, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he was soon rushed back to hospital by ambulance after developing a serious infection.
Sam and their son Cade were then given the devastating news that Chris only had days left to live and there was nothing more that could be done to stop the cancer.
They decided to bring him home and cared for him themselves for the remainder of his life. They put up their Christmas tree early so he could enjoy one final holiday surrounded by family and friends. Ten days later, Chris died at home aged 58, with Sam and Cade by his side.
She said: “Chris was my soulmate and my best friend, we did everything together. We travelled together, spent time with family together, and supported Cade through everything he did. He was incredibly proud of our son and talked about him all the time.
“We had built a wonderful life together and genuinely believed we had years ahead of us. We were looking forward to retirement, travelling more and seeing what the future would bring. Losing him didn’t just mean losing my husband, it felt like losing the future we had planned together.”
The couple first met in 1993, with Sam saying she quickly realised she had found the person she wanted to spend her life with. They married in December 1999 and welcomed their son Cade.
Sam and Chris with their son Cade(Image: The Widowed Collective/Sam Leonard)
Now, just seven months after losing her husband, Sam is sharing her story publicly for the first time as part of The Widowed Collective’s #WidowedAndForgotten campaign, launched to mark International Widows Day on June 23.
Sam said: “One of the hardest things was realising that life had suddenly become something I didn’t recognise. Everything we’d planned and expected was gone overnight.
“Most widows I knew were much older than me and I struggled to find people who understood what it felt like to lose a partner at this stage of life. You suddenly find yourself in a world you never expected to join and it can feel incredibly lonely.
“I will always love Chris and I will always miss him, but I don’t believe losing somebody means your life ends too. There are still memories to make, places to see and experiences to have. That’s not moving on from Chris, it’s learning how to carry him with me while continuing to live my life.
“When Chris died, people were incredibly kind and supportive, but what I wasn’t prepared for, was how quickly life seemed to move on around me.
“That’s what the #WidowedAndForgotten campaign is all about. Widowhood doesn’t end when the funeral is over and grief doesn’t disappear after a few months. For many people, the hardest part is learning how to rebuild a life they never expected to be living.
“Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness, a message, a phone call or simply asking how somebody is doing, can make a bigger difference than people realise.”