A woman who faced widespread disapproval for divorcing her dying husband has opened up about her difficult decision - and shared why she stands by her choice.
Yana Fry, 40, married her husband, then 37, when she was 22 years old.
The pair met around a year before they tied the knot, and Yana believes she "rushed into that marriage", though she initially believed she was "marrying for life".
A life coach, from St Petersburg, Russia, she is now based in Singapore. At the time of her marriage, Yana lived in New York, as the couple relocated for her husband's work shortly after their wedding - in a move that left Yana feeling isolated.
"I was learning English at the time. I had no friends, no relatives. I was in total isolation with no support system," the life coach reflected.
Tragically, her husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer three months into the marriage. She said: "I was in a state of shock. When I first heard the diagnosis, it took me six months to be able even to say the word cancer. We saw different kinds of doctors. Not a single person have ever offered me help. They never asked, 'Do you need a support system? Are you part of a counselling group?'
"I was hoping for the best with my ex-husband's cancer, but then years went by, and I started to lose hope. It was five years with all the treatments, and it started to change the dynamics within our relationship.
"It wasn't until that fifth year that I started to think about leaving.
"But I felt like I couldn't say anything. When someone is dying next to you, you feel like you can't talk about your own wellbeing because you compare it to their suffering."
However, the tragic loss of one of Yana's friends changed her mindset. She explained: "It was my first funeral, and it was very shocking. In my mind at the time, suicide became an option, even though I had never considered that before. I was in such a bad state.
"It was very clear to me that if I didn't save myself, I was probably going to die."
Aged 27, Yana made the decision to leave her husband, who she said she continued to support - attending medical appointments with him after they divorced.
She said: "At the beginning of his treatment, he was still checking on me. He felt even more pity for himself because of the divorce. I can't say that he was hugely supportive, but it was understandable. But what was even harder was reaction of society, which I didn't expect.
"People sent me horrible messages. I don't want to call it hatred, but it was close to that. People were in pain and they wanted to blame someone. His family were so disappointed. When he passed away two years later, even though he got married again, they were still so angry that they didn't even feel the need to inform me about his passing."
Yana said she found out about his death by reading a Facebook tribute. "My first reaction was, 'You must be joking. Someone would have called me and told me.' But no one did," she recalled. "I had to have years of therapy to learn that I am not a horrible person for making the decision that I did.
"I was so happy and so thrilled that and so relieved that he got remarried before the end. I genuinely hope that they had a beautiful life together."
She added that she ultimately has no regrets about her decision, and she's since found love and happiness herself. "I am finally learning to love myself and accept myself for who I am," she noted.
Yana hopes her story will encourage other women who might be struggling. "I feel we, especially women, are just usually brought up is the mentality to serve others, but when you go against it, you learn a lot about resilience and self-awareness," she explained.
"You learn how to not crack under the pressure of the world. Being so close to death has made me appreciate life much more too. When you understand how fragile the life is, many conflicts just disappear. You treat each day as a bonus."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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