An ex-husband now and a total deadbeat. Unfortunately my co-worker was on the hook for every penny of it and to her credit, she paid it all off.
Part of her strategy was taking on boarders as well as working a second job. That allowed her to make her mortgage payments and use what would have been her mortgage payment to go towards the debt. Downside is that she was almost never home except to sleep and her boarders started acting like it was their house. It was a bit of an adventure getting them to leave the house once she was back on her feet.
Your co-worker is an amazing woman. I hope she finds a better man than the deadbeat she cut loose.