Swindon mum-of-two opens up on losing husband at a young age

Abby Lever, 33, was widowed after her husband Ewen, 29, was killed in a crash on the A361 near Burford in December 9 2020 when his van collided with a Royal Mail lorry. 

Since then Abby and their two children Ayla and Poppy have struggled to come to terms with life without him.

But now Abby has bravely decided to open up about losing Ewen, so recorded a video talking about what happened on the day and what it has been like since, which she has posted on her Instagram page.

Abby said she perfect family of four until Ewen’s tragic and untimely death in a car accident (Image: Abby Lever)

She said: “I quite often get told to tell my story, I’ve had lots of messages from people [asking me] to share my journey and I thought, yeah, I’m probably in a better place now that I can, I want to.”

Abby met Ewen when they were both 14, and they quickly fell in love.

They bought their first house together at the age of 21, and got married four years later. 

Abby has been very open about when she has struggled following Ewen’s death (Image: Abby Lever)They had their first child, Ayla, at the age of 26, and three years later Abby was pregnant with their second baby, which led to them buying their second, ‘dream’ home.

“In August 2020 little Poppy came along, and that was it, a family of four, no more children and our dream home. In our eyes, we had got to the perfect life,” she said. 

“Then December 2020, the ninth of December, a day I was truly never, ever forget in my entire life. I was on maternity leave, and my husband Ewen left for work in the morning, he always shouted up and said ‘goodbye, love you’, and he did that morning, I will never forget that last ‘I love you’.

“He went to work and I get a knock at the door and it was police, as soon as I opened the door I just instantly knew that there was something wrong with him.”

The family at Ewen’s grave (Image: Abby Lever)

“He told me that Ewen had been involved in a fatal car accident and he had instantly passed away at the scene, and honestly, them words I have replayed and replayed and replayed in my head, how could somebody walk into my house and tell me my husband has had a car accident and is never coming home. 

“From that moment, I have never ever been the same person again.

“I didn’t cry, I remember telling the police officer “you’ve just told me that my husband has died and I’m not crying,” I was shaking, he said, “it was shock,” and it wasn’t until my dad got there, he walked through the door, and I cried, I collapsed in his arms, I think I was a bit sick, it hit me from that moment.”

Abby, Ayla and Poppy celebrating what would have been Ewen’s 33rd birthday earlier this year (Image: Abby Lever)

Five days later Abby collapsed and needed to be taken to a doctor who told her it was shock and grief, and that she needed to eat. 

“I cannot explain the feelings, the emotion, the pain, the pain was the worst, I honestly felt like my body was being ripped apart, for weeks and weeks.”

“I could never, ever prepare anybody for that.”

Three years later, Abby says she now feels stronger, but she credits her girls for being able to make it through that time 

She said: “I’m sorry for anybody that has to go through this, it truly hurts, it is painful, it’s emotional, the stress never ends, never ends.

“But I could not have got through the last three years without the children, don’t get me wrong, it’s hard, it’s hard work doing this on my own, but without them, I question how I would have done it.”