A young widower has opened up about the 'living hell' his late wife had to endure in the final moments of her life. Michael Gavin, from Dagenham, east London, watched helplessly as his beloved wife Christina Gavin deteriorated before his eyes, following a tragic stillbirth that led to a serious health decline.
The Beginning of the Tragedy
In 2009, Christina was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and prescribed insulin. While she initially managed her condition, her health took a devastating turn in 2012 after the stillbirth of their daughter, Angelica. Christina underwent five operations to fix her eyesight, but by 2014 she was registered blind, with a detached retina in her right eye caused by diabetes.
Further Health Complications
Five years later, Christina had to have her right leg amputated above the knee after a foot ulcer went septic. Remembering all that she endured, Michael said: 'Everything went wrong. The things she went through, you couldn't make it up.' He described how blood stopped flowing to her right hand, turning her index finger black. 'She was delirious and screaming. It was terrifying for me. I thought it needed to be amputated like her leg. It was such a battle. People don't realise that diabetes is a silent killer.'
Kidney Failure and Dialysis
In 2023, after suffering back pain, weakness, and fatigue, Christina was diagnosed with stage five kidney failure, and Michael became her full-time carer. He recalled: 'Christina had to have dialysis three times a day. Because of the dialysis, she had to have a fistula, and it went wrong. The blood flow wasn't working properly. Her hand was stone cold, in a claw, and her blood sugar got really low, so they had to reverse it.'
The Final Months
Shortly before Christmas 2025, Christina had two cardiac arrests and was placed into an induced coma for two weeks. During this time, the affected finger was amputated. When she woke up, she was confused and didn't recognise Michael. 'It was so distressing. I was so angry, wishing something had been done sooner. I don't know why it took them so long; it had to be an emergency before we were taken seriously.'
While signs of improvement were noted, the open wound on Christina's hand began bleeding after she knocked it, leading to another finger amputation. In the weeks before she died, her dialysis PICC line started 'gushing out blood'. She was rushed to the hospital, where a chest infection and fluid in her lungs were found. Michael received the terrible news that she was unresponsive.
'The last six months of her life were hell. It makes me angry and upset for her,' Michael said. 'I sat with her, played her some music and talked to her. Her sister and dad nearly collapsed when I told them, and our sons broke down. It was an awful conversation – but I did it for my wife. I'd do anything for my wife.'
Remembering Christina
Christina leaves behind Michael and their sons Tommy, 21, and Mikey, 17. Surviving on Universal Credit, Michael appealed for donations to cover the cost of Christina's funeral, which took place on May 27. On his GoFundMe page, which raised over £2,500, he expressed his hope to bury Christina in the same local cemetery as baby Angelica.
'I want people to know how lovely, strong and kind my wife was. I don't want her to be forgotten. When I talked to her, it felt like talking to a mate. I used to call us sweet and sour, [because] she was sweet and saw the good in people I was sour and saw the bad in people. I know she's not here [now] but I think she is. It's definitely boring without her. I never wanted her to go anywhere.'
