Recent widow, 38 weeks pregnant, struggling to raise two sons – one of which has leukaemia and Down syndrome

NSW mum Sharon Chan is expecting to give birth to her third child any day – but a time that should be filled with happiness is instead one of heartbreak after the sudden death of her husband last week.

Robert Carr suffered a heart attack and died despite attempts to revive him after he was rushed to hospital.

"He was on the floor of our bedroom and he was uncomfortable and he was in pain and not breathing properly I didn't know what was wrong," Ms Chan told A Current Affair.

"I'm not coping."

Her husband’s death came after more than a year of struggles for the family, with their youngest son, Oliver, diagnosed with leukaemia 18 months ago.

Oliver, who was born with Down syndrome and a heart murmur, has finally completed his final chemotherapy session to treat the cancer but faces an uncertain future in remission.

Ms Chan said her husband meant the world to his children and they had struggled to comprehend his death.

"Particularly my youngest, Oliver, he's a daddy's boy – through and through," Ms Chan said.

The Gunning community, a small town 265km southwest of Sydney and almost 70km from Canberra, have rallied behind Sharon and her two sons – but with a mortgage and the costs of raising a child with Down syndrome, she is set to struggle.

"I can't believe I'll be a single mum of three," Ms Chan said.

"My boys get me out of bed every morning, not literally, they don't kick me out - but I see them and I think 'as much as I want to stay there curled up', I think, 'you need to get up, get dressed and need to get on'."

Anyone wanting to help Ms Chan and her sons can visit the Rotary website set up to receive donations.