“Never go to bed angry.” It’s something that almost every young couple has heard.
But for a mother-of-three from Somerset, England, not listening to that advice turned out to be disastrous.
Ashley Murray forced her husband to sleep on the couch after an argument – and when she woke up the next day, she found him dead.
Now, Ashley has an important message for all the couples out there.
Ashley and her husband, Mikey, met in 2007 and got married three years later. Mikey adopted Ashley’s now 14-year-old daughter, and 2013, the couple had twins.
Mikey was a carpet cleaner, and he put in a lot of hours, sometimes working 16-hour shifts, seven days a week.
When Mikey got home from work, he would be completely exhausted, and Ashley was annoyed that he worked so much and was always tired.
She knew the family needed money, but she didn’t like seeing her husband so tired all the time. She felt like he was about to burn out.
Then one evening, Mikey’s long hours became too much.
“When he came home that night, he was a mess. I’ve never seen him so exhausted. I couldn’t stand seeing him like that and I got angry. I was sick of it,” Ashley told the Independent.
That night, Ashley made Mikey sleep on the sofa – and it was the last time she saw her husband alive.
The next morning when she walked into the living room, Ashley immediately realized something was wrong. Mikey was in exactly the same position as he had been the night before, and his face had gone completely gray.
Ashley touched him and noticed he was cold. She panicked and screamed out loud. She ran outside and shouted “Mikey’s dead,” before she collapsed and passed out. The neighbors helped her get up and called an ambulance.
“I felt so guilty. I was so angry with myself for making him sleep on the sofa. I still find it so hard to think that my last words to him were out of anger.”
After Mikey’s death, Ashley found out why he had worked so many hours. He was saving for a trip to celebrate he and Ashley’s wedding anniversary.
“When I found out he’d been saving to take us on an anniversary holiday it was awful – heartbreaking doesn’t begin to cover it,” Ashley said.
Mikey’s death has given Ashley a new perspective on life, and now she wants to spend as much time as she can with her family.
The autopsy showed that Mikey died in his sleep, but the exact reason is unclear. Some time ago, Mikey suffered a back injury while weight lifting, and Ashley thinks that that could have contributed to his death.
On June 8, Mikey was laid to rest, and Ashley shared some important words during the funeral: “Go kiss your loved ones and tell them you care. Let them know you love them, as they may not always be there.”
This story really touched me, and my heart goes out to Ashley and her family. Her message is something we all should carry with us. I, for one, am going to hug my family extra tight tonight.
Rest in peace, Mikey.
Published by Newsner, please like
