{"id":927780,"date":"2026-04-30T04:15:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/927780\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T04:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:15:37","slug":"husband-had-no-symptoms-but-died-aged-47-months-after-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/927780\/","title":{"rendered":"Husband had ‘no symptoms’ but died, aged 47, months after diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jon was moved into a hospice for the final weeks of his lifeNeil Shaw<\/strong><\/a> Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)<\/p>\n

07:07, 29 Apr 2026Updated 12:40, 29 Apr 2026<\/p>\n

\"Jemma<\/p>\n

Jemma and Jon on a date night<\/p>\n

A woman whose husband died eight months after a terminal cancer diagnosis, despite not having \u201cany signs\u201d, has said navigating grief has helped her learn \u201clife is for living\u201d. Jemma Hough, 42, a property sourcer from Sharnbrook, north Bedfordshire, said her husband Jon experienced stomach pain and weight gain in March 2024, but they attributed this to middle age or food intolerances.<\/p>\n

After several tests and scans, however, it was revealed he had stage 4 terminal cancer of unknown primary, believed to be centred around the stomach, in July 2024 and that he may only have \u201cweeks\u201d to live. He had chemotherapy, which was like \u201cmagic juice\u201d at first, but he soon started struggling with severe fatigue, nausea and sickness \u2013 and in February 2025 doctors said the treatment was no longer working.<\/p>\n

Jon was moved into a hospice for the final weeks of his life before he died on March 24 2025, aged 47, and Jemma made the decision to donate his body for medical research and training at Nottingham University Hospital. Speaking about grief, Jemma told PA Real Life: \u201cIt\u2019s almost surreal, dream-like, and I think, \u2018Was that really me? Was that part of my life? Did I really go through that?\u2019<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The family enjoying a day out at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium <\/p>\n

\u201cThat part of my life almost feels like it was a memory, not real\u2026 but we don\u2019t know how long we\u2019ve got. My husband was only 47 when he passed, he wasn\u2019t old, we didn\u2019t expect it and we didn\u2019t have any signs, so you just don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been very positive anyway, but it\u2019s made me think, do you know what, life is for living and we\u2019ve got to take all those opportunities. I\u2019m fortunate enough to have time now and I want to make sure that I do good with it and enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jemma first met Jon after starting a role at a golf<\/a> centre where he worked, aged 16, and they later worked at a pub and lived together as roommates. They were not \u201cparticularly close\u201d at first but, as time went on, they developed an unexpected \u201cconnection\u201d and started a relationship around three years later.<\/p>\n

She said Jon had a \u201cvery dry sense of humour\u201d and was straight-talking but, underneath it all, he was \u201csweet and caring\u201d. \u201cPersonality-wise, we were definitely like chalk and cheese \u2013 people wouldn\u2019t have put us together, but it worked,\u201d Jemma said. \u201cIt was almost fate, I think, how it just pulled us together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jon had a son called Kian, now 23, from a previous relationship, and he and Jemma married in September 2008 and had three more children together \u2013 Yasmin, now 13, William, 10, and Peter, eight. Born in Liverpool, Jon loved Liverpool FC, and he enjoyed poker nights with friends and keeping active by playing football and golf.<\/p>\n

\"Jemma<\/p>\n

Jemma with her dog at Christmas<\/p>\n

Jemma said Jon had never suffered any major health problems but when he started complaining of stomach pain in March 2024, the couple decided to seek medical advice. \u201cHe didn\u2019t have any signs (of cancer) whatsoever,\u201d Jemma said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d put on some weight, but he was getting to middle age, so we just thought maybe we need to rein it in and look at diets and be more healthy. But really, there was nothing that was \u2018telling\u2019 until he started getting some stomach pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jon had blood and stool samples taken for further testing but Jemma said the results came back as normal, and the pair therefore thought his stomach pain might be due to food intolerances.<\/p>\n

He then had a scan, which revealed fluid on his stomach, but Jemma said doctors told them \u201ccancer was very unlikely\u201d. After an endoscopy \u2013 a test to look inside the body \u2013 and a biopsy, however, the couple were called in for an appointment and told Jon had cancer. A PET scan then revealed the specific diagnosis of stage 4 terminal cancer of unknown primary, believed to be centred around the stomach, in July 2024.<\/p>\n

\"Jemma<\/p>\n

Jemma on holiday after Jon’s death – the first trip as a solo parent to Turkey<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a surreal moment because we were sitting in there and you see your partner just broken in that moment, then you\u2019re broken, but then you automatically turn into a supporter,\u201d she said. \u201cI was just hugging Jon and, at that point, we didn\u2019t know exactly the severity of his condition, but there was a discussion about timings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said, if he responds well to chemotherapy he could go on, but if he doesn\u2019t, it could be weeks, a month.\u201d Jemma said there were many \u201cunknowns\u201d at this point but he started chemotherapy a couple of weeks later and it was like \u201cmagic juice\u201d initially, giving him a newfound burst of energy. However, as time went on, he started suffering from severe nausea and vomiting, meaning he had to carry a syringe driver with him which \u201cconstantly pumped anti-sickness drugs\u201d into his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was extremely tough because he was just constantly sick and then didn\u2019t want to eat anything,\u201d she said. During this time, a friend launched a GoFundMe page, raising around \u00a36,000 to help the family create special memories, including a trip to Liverpool\u2019s Anfield stadium to watch a football match with VIP seats.<\/p>\n

The family then saw The Lion King at the theatre in London \u2013 a show Jemma had \u201calways wanted\u201d to see \u2013 and the Ruth Strauss Foundation charity supported them in visiting the Harry Potter<\/a> Warner Bros Studio. This was their last outing together before Jon\u2019s health deteriorated significantly after Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A tattoo in Jon’s memory<\/p>\n

Jemma said: \u201cIt\u2019s strange because, in the back of your mind, you\u2019re thinking this is the last Christmas<\/a> we\u2019re going to have together, or with everything you do, this might be the last time we do this together.\u201d In January 2025, Jemma said that Jon told her he felt like a \u201cburden\u201d with his fatigue, nausea and sickness and he was \u201cmentally checked out\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then, after his birthday at the end of February, doctors said the chemotherapy was no longer working, so he stopped treatment. \u201cJon was devastated,\u201d Jemma said. \u201cHe started off saying, \u2018We can fight this, we\u2019ll see what we can do with this and I\u2019ll keep going as long as I can\u2019, so he was in that mindset for a while. But, as time progressed, he was just exhausted and he\u2019d had enough near the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not long after this, Jon moved into Sue Ryder St John\u2019s Hospice in Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire, for the last month of his life, a decision made to protect the children from seeing his condition worsen. Jon died on March 24m 2025, aged 47, and Jemma said telling their children was \u201cheartbreaking\u201d, with William \u201chowling\u201d when hearing the news.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just came home, sat on the sofa, had a good cry and lit some candles, and just had space to absorb everything and what we\u2019ve been through,\u201d Jemma said. \u201cThen the grief after that just comes in waves \u2013 it hits you when you least expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jemma<\/p>\n

Jemma and Jon on a date night<\/p>\n

During Jon\u2019s treatment, Jemma accessed counselling through the Ruth Strauss Foundation, attending regular sessions with Jules. She was also connected with others in similar situations through video calls, with the group later setting up their own WhatsApp group to support each other.<\/p>\n

Jemma described Jules as her \u201cguardian angel\u201d and said Jules even suggested the children take teddies to the hospice when saying goodbye to Jon and ask him to cuddle them, so they will always have \u201cdaddy cuddles\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really fortunate that we found the Ruth Strauss Foundation because that was amazing support,\u201d she said. Jemma held a celebration-of-life party for Jon in May 2025 and is now navigating a \u201cwhole new world\u201d as a single parent and widow.<\/p>\n

However, with her new perspective on life, she wants to encourage more open conversations around grief and remind others to seize every opportunity. \u201cIt has given me a big sense of gratitude and that opportunities are not to be wasted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Ruth Strauss Foundation offers resources and support, including one-on-one counselling, peer support groups, and online materials to help families navigate an incurable cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n

To find out more, visit its website at www.ruthstraussfoundation.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jon was moved into a hospice for the final weeks of his lifeNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":927781,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[256022,36195,11208,51620,8082,105,625,623,2207,6796,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-927780","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-body-health","9":"tag-christmas-party","10":"tag-fitness-and-health","11":"tag-good-health","12":"tag-harry-potter","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-healthy-life","15":"tag-healthy-lifestyle","16":"tag-hospitals","17":"tag-mens-health","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116491723462670506","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/927781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}