Mum diagnosed with cancer the day her husband died

It was a devastating day for Tessie Sylvester - her partner of almost 16 years, John, had taken his last breath following a six-year battle with ALS.

But the mother of two’s heartbreak didn't end there.

As she called the funeral home on June 16 to make arrangements for her 44-year-old husband, her call waiting beeped. It was her doctor telling her she had liver cancer.

“I sat there with [John’s body] for a second just crying," the 36-year-old dentist told People magazine.

"Then my parents came over and I think I just went into shock. I cried and screamed for a little bit.