November 2nd 2023.
Emma Charlesworth and Emma Gray had an unlikely bond. Just hours before Boris Johnson announced the UK would be going into lockdown, Emma and her husband Charlie, along with their 10-year-old daughter Rebekah, took a selfie of their smiling faces. Little did they know the tragedy that was about to befall their family.
Emma had met Charlie when she was 15 at the terraces of her football team, Sittingbourne F.C. The couple became a couple just before her 18th birthday and married in 2005. They had a daughter, Rebekah, in 2010. Emma says Charlie was one of life's good guys. He was fiercely loyal, passionate about life, and adored their daughter Rebekah.
However, during the first week of lockdown, Charlie developed a fever. With no underlying conditions, Emma called an ambulance as Charlie became breathless and delusional. Due to Covid restrictions, Emma had to stay behind as Charlie was taken to hospital, and sadly they never saw him again.
For the final weeks of his life, Emma and Rebekah were able to Skype call with Charlie for 10 minutes a day. Although there were a couple of days where his eyes were open, Emma was offered the opportunity to go into the hospital and say goodbye, but due to restrictions, she had to go alone and isolate from Rebekah for a week afterwards. Sadly, on April 19, Charlie passed away aged 45.
The lockdown restrictions meant that Emma and Rebekah were stuck at home with no distractions and no hugs. As restrictions were relaxed, they had to overcome each milestone without Charlie. In August 2020, they had tickets to Carfest, but the day before, Emma felt overwhelmed and shared her feelings on Instagram. That's when Emma Gray, a connection she had made through Widowed and Young, sent her a message of support.
Emma Gray had met her husband, Simon, while she was still at university through mutual friends. They married in 2005 and had two daughters, Olivia and Sophie. Emma's husband was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines and was the world's most optimistic, smiley person. Simon was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2013 but sadly passed away in 2017.
The unlikely bond between Emma Charlesworth and Emma Gray was formed through their shared experience of grief and loss. Despite their individual tragedies, they found solace in each other and have been able to move forward.
Emma Charlesworth and Emma Gray had a lot in common. Both of them had married their soulmates and shared the same happiness of being mothers to their respective daughters. However, tragedy struck them both in the same way - the loss of their husbands.
Just hours before Boris Johnson announced the UK would be going into lockdown, Emma Charlesworth and her family took a selfie, unaware of the tragedy that was about to befall them. Emma had met her husband, Stuart 'Charlie' Charlesworth, when she was only 15, on the terraces of her football team, Sittingbourne F.C. They married in 2005 and had a daughter, Rebekah, in 2010 - a life full of joy and laughter.
"Charlie was one of life's good guys," Emma, 42, from Kent, says. "He was fiercely loyal and would do anything for anyone. He had the attitude that life was to be lived and was full of life. He was in a band and a part-time photographer, but being a dad was his biggest and best role. He adored Rebekah and they were ridiculously close."
Sadly, during the first week of lockdown, Charlie developed a fever - despite being fit and healthy with no underlying conditions. He soon became breathless and delusional, so Emma called an ambulance. Due to Covid restrictions, Emma had to stay behind as Charlie was taken to hospital and they never saw each other again.
At hospital, he was placed into intensive care and hooked up to a ventilator for three weeks. Emma and Rebekah were able to Skype call with Charlie for about 10 minutes per day for the final weeks of his life, but he was unconscious during those calls. On April 19, Emma was offered the opportunity to go into the hospital to say her goodbyes, but sadly could not as there wasn't enough PPE for both her and Rebekah - later that day, Charlie passed away, aged 45.
For Emma and Rebekah, there was little escape from their grief. Emma says: "It became Rebekah and me against the world. We were stuck at home, with no distractions - apart from Rebekah, nobody hugged me for three months." As restrictions were relaxed and news of Covid faded from the headlines, life got a little easier, but each milestone without Charlie was another challenge to overcome.
Emma shares her journey online - writing a blog and sharing on Instagram. Struggling with the anxiety of Carfest, she shared her feelings on the online platform and received a message of support from Emma Gray, a connection she had made through Widowed and Young.
Emma Gray's husband, Simon, had been a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines. They had met at university, when Simon had climbed a drainpipe just to get into her flat. After a night out, they had talked for hours on the phone and romance blossomed. They married in 2005 and had two daughters, Olivia, 15, and Sophie, 13.
"He was a frustratingly amazing dad," Emma, 46, from Somerset, says. "He had so much energy. I have this lovely memory of him and the kids snuggled up in front of CBBC, and they were all just blissfully happy."
Sadly, in 2013, Simon was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He was determined to stay in the Royal Marines until retirement, but he eventually succumbed to the cancer in 2016.
Emma Charlesworth and Emma Gray had gone through the same tragedy - the loss of their beloved husbands. Despite their grief, the two Emmas had found solace in each other and had supported each other through the difficult times. Although both of them had lost their husbands, they were determined to continue living and honouring their memories.
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