ANOTHER VICTIM
Mum of New Zealand massacre victim dies of ‘broken heart’ day after son’s funeral after struggling to cope with his loss
THE mother of a Christchurch mosque massacre victim died of a heart attack after her son’s funeral, it was reported.
Kamel Darwish, 38, was killed at the Al Noor mosque during after a lone attacker opened fire during Friday prayers on March 15.
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Fifty people were killed when the gunman open fire at the Al Noor and Linwood Masjid mosques.
The dad-of-three dairy farm worker came to New Zealand to join his older brother about six months ago and was waiting for his wife and children to join them.
His funeral was held on Friday but the family was hit by a double tragedy when his mother, Saud Abdelfattah Mhaisen Adwan died with hours.
The 65-year-old suffered a heart attack, the Jordanian Embassy in Australia confirmed,
Family friend Yaser Mohammad said: “She came yesterday to attend the funeral.
BROKEN HEART
“Apparently this morning she passed away because she couldn't put up with the sorrow and sadness of losing her son.
"They are arranging to take the coffin back to Jordan".
According to she already suffered from a heart condition and was too upset to attend her son’s funeral.
She went to bed with a sore stomach was found dead when her family checked on her the following day.
Her 33-year-old nephew Adwan said he believed the gunman was responsible for her death.
"She just didn't wake up. We feel like the main reason for her death is sadness. It's extremely sad. She was a very lovely, easy going person.”
What is broken heart syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome or takotsubo (TTS) is a condition where your heart muscle suddenly becomes weak.
It's linked to stress.
The word "takotsubo" means "octopus pot" in Japanese, due to the fact that the heart's left ventricle changes into a similar shape as the pot.
It can develop at any age but tends to affect more women than men.
Symptoms can include:
chest pain
breathlessness
collapse
palpitations
nausea
vomiting
In other words, symptoms can look and feel a lot like a heart attack.
The British Heart Foundation says that in many cases, TTS is triggered by emotional or physical.
distress, such as an asthma attack, death, physical assault, illness or being involved in a disaster.
In about 10-15 per cent of people who have had TTS, it'll come back again after they've recovered.
You can find out more .
Mr Darwish’s older brother, Zuhair, has lived in New Zealand since 2007, and had convinced him to move to the country because he believed it was a safer place to raise his family.
His wife Rana and their children, aged 2, 6 and 8, have applied for a visa to immigrate to New Zealand.
Several Jordanians died in the shootings and the country’s Crown Prince El Hassan Bin Talal laid flowers at the Masjid Al Noor on Saturday after it was handed back to the Muslim community.
Adwan is one of several relatives of those shot in the massacre to suffer heart attacks in the following days.
Mohsin Al-Harbi’s survived the initial attack, only to die in hospital.
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The Saudi-born man’s wife Manal was distressed as she searched for him that she collapsed with a heart attack and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Sazada Akhter was seriously injured after being shot twice at Al Noor and her mother was taken to hospital in Bangladesh after having a heart attack when she found out.
Meanwhile Mohamed Elmi, 49, was killed in a crash while returning from helping relatives affected by the Christchurch terror attacks.
Australian Brenton Tarrant has been charged with one murder following the Christchurch attack and was remanded without a plea.
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