Beyond The Barrio: Hoarder Joan Cunnabe Dies Under Pile Of Unopened Purchases In Her Home

Joan Cunnane, 77, died after being crushed and buried by the dozens and dozens of unopened purchases she had hoarded in her home. Cunnane’s home was so inundated with piles of purchases of gadgets, clothing, ornaments, candles and umbrellas that a search team and evironmental health officer had to come in and dig her out. Concerned friends had reported her missing after not having seen her since Christmas. Cunnane, who lived alone, had been struggling with a shopping addiction for at least 16 years. Says her best friend, Roy Moran:

“She was an only child, and had never married. I think it just gave her pleasure to buy things, none of it was really essential. I once asked her how many scarves she had. ‘She said, she thought about 300. I asked her why she needed that many. She said, they were all different colours. She brought everything - lots of clothes. It had been going on over 16 years from when she brought the property. She went to John Lewis, Marks and Spencers and shopping malls because they are open late so she didn’t have to go home.”

The source article — perhaps incorrectly — describes Ms. Cunnane as a “shopaholic.” But we tend to think, from what we understand about the disorder, that the excessive shopping is a symptom of her compulsion to hoard objects in her home and car. The question arises at to whether her friends and neighbors ever tried to step in and offer her help. To think how she could have better spent all the money she wasted on candles and clothing and trinkets. Sad all around.

Shopaholic pensioner dies in her home after being buried under mountain of unopened items [Daily Mail]