Byron Bay mum’s sudden death after graduation from asthma attack

A young mum has tragically died after suffering an asthma attack inside a pub. Her husband has revealed the tragic question their daughters asked him the next day.

A day of celebration ended in tragedy when a young Byron Bay mum suffered a fatal asthma attack while celebrating her graduation from art school.

Shari-Lee Bromley, 37, was enjoying a celebratory dinner at a pub with friends on November 24 when she began to have difficulty breathing.

Despite using her inhaler, she collapsed and was rushed to Byron Bay Hospital where her partner Sean Croon had rushed to be by her side only to be told her heart had not been beating properly for 20 minutes.

Shari-lee leaves behind two daughters. Picture: Facebook

‘How can one’s heart be so full and yet so broken?’ Mr Croon asked. Picture: Facebook

Ms Bromley leaves behind two young daughters, Indigo, seven, and Sadie, five.

Mr Croon wrote a moving tribute on Facebook to his partner asking: “How can one’s heart be so full and yet so broken?”.

“My angels, babycakes and the mother of our two beautiful girls passed away on Friday night,” he wrote.

Mr Croon said his partner had “thwarted death many times in her journey with asthma, except this time”.

He said he was “holding her hand, caressing her and telling her how loved she was as she passed”.

Mr Croon said she “looked like an angel in death. So beautiful and at peace” describing her as an “old soul, with wisdom, compassion an innate ability to know what people need and the courage to always do the right thing and follow her heart”.

Sean Croon and Shari-Lee Bromley

He described her acts of kindness as “inspirational” and her sense of humour “irresistible to laughter”.

For Ms Bromley’s two young daughters her sudden death has been difficult to comprehend.

He told Yahoo News the next day their daughters ran into their bedroom room innocently inquiring “Where's mummy?”.

That’s when he told them he had “really sad news” and their “mummy had passed away”.

“Indigo got it, she just burst into tears,” he said. “Sadie was more bewildered, not quite getting it. We just sort of held each other and cried.”

Shari-Lee Bromley was only 37 when she died of an asthma attack. Picture: Sean Croon

Mr Croon said his partner was a severe asthmatic and her asthma could be triggered by certain preservatives which were difficult to keep track of.

The preservative could be so obscure that they wouldn’t necessarily identified with labels.

“It can be found in different food and drinks, so she can’t drink champagne or white wine. She would just avoid all of that,” Mr Croon said.

Asthma attacks happened throughout her life and she was put into an induced coma when she was 19 due to a serious asthma attack.

“I’ve been in the ambulance with her many times with the sirens screaming,” he said.

He thanked the community for the outpouring of love and support which he described as “unbelievable”.

A GoFundMe campaign has been started to further support Sean and his two daughters while he navigates this new life.

The number of asthma-related deaths in Australia has risen sharply in the past year.

Australia Bureau of Statistics data show in 2022 there were 467 deaths, up 30 per cent from the year prior.

Experts say deaths were down 2021 as a result of Covid hygiene protocols and lockdowns leading to less respiratory infections and asthma attacks.

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