Family of grandmother who died from rabies tell jury of loss and devastation'

"We are determined that Yvonne's death will not be without meaning. Ms Thomson said it was vital the public are made aware that they must seek urgent medical advice if they are scratched or bitten by an animal abroad to prevent another family from enduring this trauma, loss and devastation."

"Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, died four months after being scratched by a stray dog she startled under her sun lounger on a Moroccan beach during a February 2025 holiday. An inquest in Sheffield heard Mrs Ford was admitted to Barnsley Hospital in June 2025 after falling ill."

Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, died from rabies four months after being scratched by a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco in February 2025. She was admitted to Barnsley Hospital in June 2025 after falling ill, and her condition rapidly deteriorated. A psychiatrist identified the potential for rabies, and she died at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital on 11 June with her family present. At an inquest in Sheffield, her family expressed determination that her death have meaning by raising public awareness about the critical importance of seeking urgent medical advice immediately after being scratched or bitten by animals while abroad, to prevent other families from experiencing similar trauma and loss.

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