A DEVASTATED husband has spoken of his heartache after his wife died aged 46 – as he continues to fundraise in her memory.

Mum-of-two Sharon Robinson-Smith died in June 2018 just three months after she fell ill.

Her husband, Andy Smith, lost his wife and their children Amelia, 17, and 15-year-old Lewis, lost their mum.

Andy made a daily 110-mile round trip from Bingley to Wythenshawe Hospital in Greater Manchester for 12 weeks to visit his wife in hospital after she was transferred to the hospital and put on an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) unit - the closest one in the country to the family - which pumps blood through an artificial lung.

Sharon, who worked as a medical secretary, had been feeling rundown and poorly for about a week until Andy persuaded his wife to see her GP, where the doctor immediately rang for an ambulance.

"I just didn’t know what was going on,” said Andy.

"They didn’t give us a diagnosis at this point – they only knew that her lungs weren’t working properly and she’d need help. The next 24 hours were just mad.

“She was a really strong and stubborn person, a typical Yorkshire woman, she just wanted to get on and thought it would be fine. I’m glad I’d dragged her to the GP."

A few days after arriving at Wythenshawe, it was clear Sharon’s lungs, liver and kidney were all starting to fail and that she was suffering from pneumonia.

“I had to tell my kids we were going to lose mum today,” said Andy. “We prepared to say goodbye. But then throughout the day she started to stabilise.”

Slowly Sharon started to make improvements, but remained in a coma to help her body recover.

The mum came off the ECMO on April 21 and was well enough to breathe on a ventilator until she was weaned off it completely over the next three weeks.

However, Sharon’s circulation had been so poor, her feet had become swollen and purple and the decision was made to amputate her legs just below the knees.

After the operation, Andy and Sharon, who married in 2001, were able to spend some time outside for their wedding anniversary.

“It was really lovely to sit outside and chat,” said Andy.

“We were really positive and we knew that whatever happened we’d be okay.”

Sharon’s condition once again deteriorated a few days later and she struggled to breathe again.

Pneumonia and sepsis took over her body and she passed away with Andy by her side.

The dad is now fundraising for the Wythenshawe Hospital Charity and is training for this year's London Marathon.

He has already raised £4,500 from previous events, including a ball held in Sharon's honour and the Great North Run, and hopes to raise another £2,500 by running the marathon.

Andy added: “We miss Sharon every day, of course, but the kids have got their whole lives ahead of them. I don’t want them to be negative – we’ve stayed very positive as a family."

To donate to Andy's fundraising visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Andrew-Smith322