A grieving husband broke down in tears as he relived his wife’s ‘horrendous’ death after contracting rabies from a dog scratch while on holiday in Morocco.
Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was scratched by a stray puppy who had been lying under her sunbed back in February – but thought nothing of it at the time.
Around four months later, the grandmother began suffering from a severe headache and was admitted to Barnsley Hospital.
Within days, she was hallucinating, unable to walk, talk, sleep or swallow, and developed a fear of water – all distinguishable symptoms of rabies.
Yvonne was transferred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where she was eventually diagnosed with the rare but devastating virus and sadly passed away.
Rabies is uncommon in the UK, having been almost completely eradicated, but is still easily contactable in other parts of the world, such as Morocco, Asia, Africa and north Africa. It is often caught from a bite or scratch of an infected animal and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Many people are unaware that rabies can lay dormant, showing no symptoms, for a period time which can span a few months up to two whole years. This is known as the incubation period.
Yvonne’s husband Ron and her two children Robyn and Adam appeared on the ITV‘s This Morning today to tell their devastating story and raise awareness around the disease.
A This Morning guest broke down in tears as he recalled the weeks before losing his wife to rabies after she was scratched by a puppy on holiday in Morocco (pictured)
Yvonne Ford (pictured) passed away aged 59 on June 11 after she was scratched by a stray dog lying under her sunbed back in February
The grandmother-of-four started suffering from a ‘horrendous’ headache and was admitted to Barnsley Hospital
Her daughter Robyn Thomson, 32, (left) has spoken of how the deathly disease that stole her mother
Yvonne pictured on holiday with her husband Ron, daughter Robyn and grandchildren
Recounting the trip, Mr Ford said: ‘We went to Morocco for a winter break. Two days before we came home, we were on the beach on the hotel, lots of dogs were running about everywhere.
‘There was a puppy underneath her sunbed, she put her leg down and it startled the dog, it scratched her.’
But the scratch didn’t even leave a mark, let alone break skin, so the ‘unaware’ couple decided it wasn’t worth going to have it checked out.
‘That was the second to last day of the holiday, no illness. No nothing. Went home. A month later, still nothing, no symptoms whatsoever,’ Mr Ford added.
The couple even went on another holiday to Florida in May, just weeks before Yvonne’s tragic death.
As he retold the story of his wife’s torturous death, Mr Ford became overcome by emotion, sobbing with his head in his hands.
Dermot asked when Yvonne’s symptoms started to arise and her daughter Robyn stepped in to answer.
She explained: ‘We came back from Florida on the 23rd of May, the following week my dad and mum went to York on a fishing trip in the campervan.
‘On the Saturday, my mum started with a horrendous headache, unbearable headache, she couldn’t sleep at all.
Yvonne’s husband Ron and her two children Robyn and Adam appeared on the ITV show on Monday to raise awareness about the viral disease and how to prevent a devastating death (pictured)
Yvonne Ford pictured with husband Ron before she died of rabies after being scratched by a puppy on holiday
Robyn said her mother’s death was a huge shock to the whole family – especially as it took so long for her to develop symptoms
Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was scratched on the leg by a small stray puppy lying under her sunbed while on holiday in Morocco with her husband in February – but thought nothing of it at the time
The family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show – but the deadly disease can incubate for up to two years
‘The Monday after, my dad had taken her to A&E because her headache was so severe, the Monday she went into hospital, walking talking, doing everything.
‘Come the Friday, she couldn’t walk, talk, swallow, she had a fear of water, she was horrendously hallucinating, beyond what we could imagine.
‘She just deteriorated within five days.’
Doctor Nighat Arif appeared on the sofa to give viewers tips on what to do before going on holiday.
She said: ‘Immediately before going on holiday, there is a rabies vaccine that we can give.
‘Its available privately for travel. We know 59,000 cases of rabies or deaths across the world in 150 countries.
‘Places like Morocco, Asia, Africa, north Africa, the world has become such a small place now, we don’t think about it. We’ve managed to eradicate it in Europe.’
Yvonne Ford with her husband Ron, son Adam and girlfriend Rachel
Within days, she could not walk, talk, sleep or swallow. She started hallucinating, and developed a fear of water
Yvonne Ford on holiday with husband Ron (right), daughter Robyn, Robyn’s husband Andrew (left) and their children
She continued: ‘If you have a scratch, most immediate thing to do is wash it with soap and water, clean the wound.
‘It’s not always just a scratch that we get from kittens, or dogs or bats, it could be licking of the nose, tongue, lips, eyes, wash all of that out.
‘There is post exposure treatment you can be given as well.’
Dermot thanked the family for appearing on the show and asked: ‘What’s the one message you would like to send to anyone?’
Adam said: ‘Just check the recommendations from the government, Morocco was only recommended for rabies, it’s not a “you have to do it”. Just check.
‘We don’t want people to go through what we’ve gone through. Seeing your mum deteriorate in seven days like that. We don’t want anyone to go through that ever again.
‘If we can get the awareness out, just check, check, check, contact your doctor. Get the injections. That’s all we want.’
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
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