Mom, 38, Found Dead on Christmas Morning by Teen Son, Hours After Getting Home from the Doctor: ‘We Had No Clue’

A 38-year-old woman in England was found dead on Christmas morning — only hours after she’d visited a doctor.

Louise McKenzie, from Merseyside in northwest England, had attended an appointment on Christmas Eve with her 18-year-old son, Reece Barrett, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Reece told the outlet that his mother was diagnosed with an inflamed pancreas during the visit, but said staff reassured them there was no need to worry. He added that she felt well enough afterward to do some last-minute Christmas shopping and even tidied the house once they returned home.

Later that day, however, Reece said his mother began complaining of a headache and dizziness and decided to sit down and rest. He said he then went out for a few drinks to celebrate the holidays with friends, and returned home later that night.

“She was upstairs asleep,” he recalled. “She was snoring her head off like she always would. I went in, said ‘Goodnight, I love you,’ and gave her a kiss. She said, ‘Merry Christmas. I love you.’”

Reece said he woke up the next morning at around 11 a.m. local time and found his mother “curled up on the bathroom floor.”

“I think I knew straight away she had passed away,” he told the Liverpool Echo.

He said he panicked and called his girlfriend, who urged him to contact emergency services. Reece told the outlet the operator instructed him to perform CPR, and he briefly thought his mother might be breathing — before realizing it may have been her body releasing its final air.

“The paramedics, my girlfriend and her mom came, and I was just distraught,” he said. “I hoped the paramedics could save her, but I think I already knew she was gone.”

Reece described the loss as devastating, saying the reminders of Christmas were still everywhere.

“My world has been turned upside down,” he told the outlet. “Her Christmas pajamas are still upstairs. She’ll never get to wear them or see everything I had promised her. It’s a killer.”

He said it is believed his mother died from a brain hemorrhage, and that he later learned the headache and dizziness she experienced can be warning signs.

“We know now they’re symptoms, but at the time we had no clue it was a bleed on the brain,” he said, adding that he struggles with guilt about not taking her to the hospital sooner.

Reece, who works full time as a civil servant and had only ever lived with his mother, is now staying with his girlfriend and her family while he tries to figure out how to manage living costs on his own — and how to care for his dog, a pitbull named Virgil.

“I’ve only ever lived with my mom,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “I’ve never paid bills, never paid for shopping, and with her passing away we’re going to lose the house. I’m going to have to live by myself on a basic wage.”

His girlfriend’s mother, Vicki Bradshaw, has set up a GoFundMe to help support him financially.

“As you can imagine, the stress of losing your mom, your home and potentially your beloved dog all over the Christmas period has been a terrible time,” Bradshaw wrote on the fundraising page. She added that Reece was told he may not be able to keep Virgil if he receives public housing through the local council.

Bradshaw wrote that the family is reaching out to friends, relatives, and anyone able to donate — with the goal of helping Reece get established in an apartment and possibly cover rent for a small house for several months so he can keep his dog while he considers next steps.

“He is a hardworking person … we would be extremely grateful for any support you can give,” she wrote.

As of Saturday, Jan. 10, the GoFundMe had raised $21,000 toward a goal of approximately $32,000.