Losing a loved one is never easy. Regardless of whether it’s expected or sudden, the pain of grief can be extremely intense. But it can be a bit easier to accept that someone is gone when they had the opportunity to live a long, happy, and healthy life. And it can be extra devastating when a person’s life is suddenly cut short.
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#1
My friend's sister had a kid, and at 1 year old he was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer.
The doctors said he was likely born with cancer.
This kid spent the next couple years of his life in pain from treatments, and never being able to grow as a normal child. He died never being able to speak or understand what was happening to him. It must have been painful and terrifying.
I nearly punched someone when they said god needed another angel after he died. God didn't need to t*****e a child to make an angel. He didn't need to make this woman's life hell and rip out her heart. There is no god, and if there is, he's a cruel b*****d that doesn't deserve the worship he gets.
The doctors said he was likely born with cancer.
This kid spent the next couple years of his life in pain from treatments, and never being able to grow as a normal child. He died never being able to speak or understand what was happening to him. It must have been painful and terrifying.
I nearly punched someone when they said god needed another angel after he died. God didn't need to t*****e a child to make an angel. He didn't need to make this woman's life hell and rip out her heart. There is no god, and if there is, he's a cruel b*****d that doesn't deserve the worship he gets.
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62points
#2
There is nothing worse than watching a bright and vibrant person succumb to dementia.
47points
#3
My therapist. She was such a lovely woman, she would (when appropriate) talk about her kids with such warmth and care. I went to see her for my anxiety disorder, deriving from a rough childhood. I talked about my dad being an unstable, borderline dangerous individual. She teared up hearing me talk about it, I thought it was sympathy, it wasn't; it was empathy.
I walked by a newspaper one day to see her face on the cover. She was m******d by her ex husband in her own home. He beat her to d***h and then tried to make it look like a s*****e. The alarm was raised when she didn't pick her kids up from school. It was a small town and she left behind three young children, the ex husband/m******r being their father. Phillip Island hasn't quite been the same since.
R.I.P Samatha Fraser.
I walked by a newspaper one day to see her face on the cover. She was m******d by her ex husband in her own home. He beat her to d***h and then tried to make it look like a s*****e. The alarm was raised when she didn't pick her kids up from school. It was a small town and she left behind three young children, the ex husband/m******r being their father. Phillip Island hasn't quite been the same since.
R.I.P Samatha Fraser.
40points
Every day on Earth is a blessing, and most of us will hopefully get to stick around for many decades. But something that makes life much more difficult is knowing that it’s so precious. It can be taken from us at any moment, and what’s even scarier than losing your own life is watching a loved one lose theirs.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the most common reason for someone to unexpectedly lose their life is by having a sudden cardiac arrest, typically caused by cardiovascular disease. Every year in the United States, over 356,000 people have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. And sadly, only 10% of them survive, even if they receive paramedic treatment.
#4
Couple had three children. The eldest literally dropped d**d at school one day, aged 9, due to a rare cardiac condition. The younger two were tested. They got two years with the middle child before he died too. The youngest daughter didn't have the condition! She lived a happy, healthy life....until she was 16, when she was hit by a drunk driver who fled the scene, and left her for d**d.
ETA: the mother had several s*****e attempts in the two years after the youngest's d***h. They then moved to a different city to be close to her sisters, and their children. Last I heard, their plan was to dedicate their lives to being the best Aunt and Uncle possible, and do for their nieces and nephews what they wanted to do for their own children.
ETA: the mother had several s*****e attempts in the two years after the youngest's d***h. They then moved to a different city to be close to her sisters, and their children. Last I heard, their plan was to dedicate their lives to being the best Aunt and Uncle possible, and do for their nieces and nephews what they wanted to do for their own children.
31points
#5
My healthy paramedic sister spent her days saving people's lives. She had a headache that wouldnt go, so went for a scan.
The next day she was told she had brain cancer. No effective treatment, no cure, 100% fatal.
Within six months she was in a wheelchair, massively bloated with steroids and practically blind.
She died almost 12 months to the day of her scan.
The next day she was told she had brain cancer. No effective treatment, no cure, 100% fatal.
Within six months she was in a wheelchair, massively bloated with steroids and practically blind.
She died almost 12 months to the day of her scan.
27points
#6
I don’t know if this counts because he wasn’t actually born yet, but my son died unexpectedly, at full term, on what was supposed to be his delivery day. We went to the hospital to have him and bam, no heartbeat. I delivered a d**d baby, and the autopsy showed nothing wrong. Our perfectly healthy baby just f*****g died for no known reason, and it haunts me. Oh, and it was my husband’s birthday.
23points
Someone doesn’t have to lose their life in minutes for it to be tragic, though. As several on this list mentioned, illnesses that destroy a person over time, such as dementia, are devastating to watch day by day. And seeing a loved one receive a terminal diagnosis, such as brain cancer, can turn your world upside down in an instant.
Nikki Smith, author of Grief Sucks: A Workbook for Navigating Loss, says that when loss is sudden, the most important thing that grieving individuals need is presence. Someone who’s there to help and be with them without trying to rationalize or fix the situation. On the other hand, when the loss was not shocking, what caregivers really need is validation. Someone being there to listen without judgment can go a long way.
#8
I watched my stepdad deteriorate from early-onset Alzheimers at the age of 59. He died January of this year at 63. I was his full-time caretaker.
It was harder than watching my brother go through chemo.
It was harder than watching my brother go through chemo.
22points
#9
My uncle drowned in a scuba diving accident trying to save someone who panicked.
My dad’s cousin was found in a swamp chained down by cement blocks. Motive was ultimately undetermined, but they suspect it was a business deal gone wrong.
My dad’s cousin was found in a swamp chained down by cement blocks. Motive was ultimately undetermined, but they suspect it was a business deal gone wrong.
20points
We know that this is far from the easiest article to read through, pandas. So we hope that it’s not too painful. But if you can relate to any of these stories, know that you’re not alone. Keep upvoting the ones that touch you, and let us know if you’d like to share any similar experiences in the comments below. Then, if you’re interested in reading another article from Bored Panda discussing similar themes, we recommend checking out this one next.
#10
My uncle was a truck driver. While transferring a load of glass, it shifted and he hopped out to check. During that check, the glass slid off the trailer & landed on him. He bled out before the ambulance got there.
20points
#11
My 8 year old nephew died from cancer. If that’s not tragic I don’t know what is.
20points
#12
Friend’s fiancé got punched in the face at a bar. Instant brain damage, he never woke up and she had to make the difficult decision to switch off life support a couple of days later. He didn’t start a fight, really friendly guy but happened to strike up a conversation with an angry off duty military guy.
Devastating ripple effects for many many people who knew and loved him. Extremely sad.
Devastating ripple effects for many many people who knew and loved him. Extremely sad.
19points
#13
Had a classmate who was so gifted, only 16 and was about to graduate from high school and with an Associates degree from our local community collage. Snuck out to go to a party after getting over mono and fell asleep driving home. Drove head on into a semi.
Worst part is, she didn't normally do anything like that, so when police knocked on their door at 3 in the morning, her parents were like, no, it can't be her, she's in bed.
Worst part is, she didn't normally do anything like that, so when police knocked on their door at 3 in the morning, her parents were like, no, it can't be her, she's in bed.
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19points
#14
Cut in half by a boat.
18points
#15
I've never told this story and it will not be fun to read or easy to forget. It is NSFL.
A family member of mine probably wins the unfortunate prize of having the most tragic loss.
She had married her high school sweetheart, both became successful and had their dream home built. They started a beautiful family and were a picturesque, fantastic couple and parents. They were *constantly* positive and happy. These were extremely bubbly, energetic, outgoing people who were in love with their new life.
One day, the dad was in the backyard on the ride-on mower taking care of their huge yard with lots of trees. Their 2 year old boy saw dad in the backyard, zooming around, and he ran out the sliding glass door to go and see him. He was running up from behind and, because the mower is so loud, his dad never heard or saw him. He had to reverse out of a spot and.... he reversed right over his own son. Lawnmower over child. I won't go into any more details.
It was so bad that the first responders who showed up were at the funeral, faces wet from tears. The wails of pure anguish I heard from the mother that day will live inside of me forever. My eyes are welling up just thinking about the utter misery of it all. Even the priest was crying over the too-tiny coffin. It was the single saddest situation I have been on the periphery of, and I cannot possibly begin to imagine experiencing it first hand. It was so tragic that their home town still honors the child during a parade they have every year.
On a positive note, the couple healed. They remained loving each other, and they had another child - a beautiful and healthy daughter whom they love dearly. The pain has never faded, and they remember their son all year long, but they have learned, somehow, how to heal and continue to live.
If we have souls, I have no idea how one heals from something like that. I think about it more than I'd like to.
A family member of mine probably wins the unfortunate prize of having the most tragic loss.
She had married her high school sweetheart, both became successful and had their dream home built. They started a beautiful family and were a picturesque, fantastic couple and parents. They were *constantly* positive and happy. These were extremely bubbly, energetic, outgoing people who were in love with their new life.
One day, the dad was in the backyard on the ride-on mower taking care of their huge yard with lots of trees. Their 2 year old boy saw dad in the backyard, zooming around, and he ran out the sliding glass door to go and see him. He was running up from behind and, because the mower is so loud, his dad never heard or saw him. He had to reverse out of a spot and.... he reversed right over his own son. Lawnmower over child. I won't go into any more details.
It was so bad that the first responders who showed up were at the funeral, faces wet from tears. The wails of pure anguish I heard from the mother that day will live inside of me forever. My eyes are welling up just thinking about the utter misery of it all. Even the priest was crying over the too-tiny coffin. It was the single saddest situation I have been on the periphery of, and I cannot possibly begin to imagine experiencing it first hand. It was so tragic that their home town still honors the child during a parade they have every year.
On a positive note, the couple healed. They remained loving each other, and they had another child - a beautiful and healthy daughter whom they love dearly. The pain has never faded, and they remember their son all year long, but they have learned, somehow, how to heal and continue to live.
If we have souls, I have no idea how one heals from something like that. I think about it more than I'd like to.
18points
#16
One of my best friends died in a house fire just a few days after his 39th birthday. He was trying to get his dogs out, he got one out but the other one died with him.
18points
#17
Working for Cantor Fitz on 9/11.
18points
#18
My mum was crushed by a bus, I was stuck in the passenger seat beside her. I think it was being there and unable to help, and only being a teenager, that makes it so much more tragic.
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18points
#19
A boy in my son's middle school class died of appendicitis. He didn't have any of the typical symptoms, no abdominal pain and just a little vomiting, but was primarily delirious and acting strange and not making sense (the paramedics' first thought was d**g use, either intentional or some accidental exposure). He was so far along that he died on the way to the hospital. He was so young.
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18points
#20
Someone I know broke his ankle and went to the hospital and died of covid that he caught there after they subsequently broke his wrist trying to move him without enough help (that he warned them about).
17points