My Hubby Was Killed By Ants

‘He was the fire that lit my soul, we were perfect for each other,’ sobs Katrina, squeezing their four-year-old son Thomas.

‘I can’t believe that John died from ant bites. How could a little ant kill a man who used to swim with sharks in Exmouth?’

The nightmare started on February 18. For five years, Katrina had been used to her de facto John ringing up to eight times a day, but this was a call that will haunt her forever.

‘“The ants are biting me,” he said. I just laughed and told him to flick them off,’ recalls Katrina. ‘Then he said: “No, it’s got me worse than a bee sting.” I could hear the panic in his voice and he was starting to slur his words, so I knew it was serious.’

Only two years earlier, the 48-year-old truck driver had been diagnosed with an allergy to bees. The couple had no reason to believe that other insects might have the same deadly effect.

‘I checked he had his EpiPen [adrenalin] on him, but he told me that he couldn’t move. I said: “I love you, honey,” and he said: “I love you too, baby.” It’s the last thing he ever said to me.’ The next day, John was dead after suffering anaphylactic shock.

Thomas doesn’t understand that his dad isn’t coming home again and cuddles up to John’s council shirt every night to go to sleep. ‘Every part of this breaks my heart,’ Katrina says. ‘Four days after he died, a friend dropped off John’s car – Thomas raced to the door saying: “Daddy, Daddy!”

‘We were going to get married mid-year, but my girlfriend confessed that John was planning a surprise wedding this week, for my birthday. I was going to wear a medieval dress and he was going to wear his favourite Ford shirt, shorts, thongs and an Akubra hat.

‘I’ve lost 17 kilos and can’t sit on “our couch” any more. I feel robbed – I just want him to hold me and tell me it’ll all go away.‘It’s hard to believe but an ant has changed my life.’

By Natalee Fuhrmann
Photos: Rebecca Mansell