Can somebody really die of a broken heart, the way poor Lady Margret did?
Actually, they can. Scientists have discovered that when some people, especially women, suffer from tremendous grief, their hearts can literally develop cardiomyopathy, or an abnormality, that can lead to death.
I have seen it happen myself.
A very good friend of mine had a mother who always doted on her children, and acted as if they could do no wrong. When her husband became ill, these same children that she adored (excepting my friend) put him into a care facility and forced her to go with him, in spite of the fact that she was remarkably healthy for her age, and in possession of all of her cognitive facilities. They took over the money that she and her husband had spent years saving, and became her medical power of attorney, as well. Then they put her on an antidepressant because she complained too much.
They bullied and berated her so badly that she pretended to be demented in order to get relief from them. After her husband died, she had a stroke and was put into the hospital.
While she was in her hospital bed, on a breathing mask, they sat by her bed and mocked her. They criticized her for having bugs in her kitchen. They made fun of her religion. As she struggled to breathe, they sat there eating like people eating popcorn during a movie. When she begged to be allowed to go back to the nursing facility instead of going to hospice, they said, "We'll see." In the end, it was too much for her, and she simply gave up. No medical reason was ever given for her death.
My friend was there for her every day, but it wasn't enough. Realizing that her other children had turned against her was too much for her to bear, and nothing my friend said made enough of a difference.
People really can die of a broken heart, like poor Lady Margret. My friend's mother is proof.
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