There are times, at one point, he thought he might never have. His story about COVID is an agony, a pain and an inconceivable suffering. In early 2021, Mick tested positive for COVID. It was the beginning of what he describes as a “journey from hell.” “It was a weekend and I was bringing my daughter from Scotland to Ellesmere Port,” he recalls. “That was when my COVID started operating full time. My wife called an ambulance and all I can remember is that I was in the hospital. “These are the last memories I have before I go to the intensive care unit and then for three weeks.” Picture: The family pictured together on vacation At that time, at home, his wife’s health was deteriorating rapidly. And she was infected, she was struggling to breathe. But he did not survive. This tragedy was unknown to Mick until he finally woke up. He said: “I had a stroke when they tried to get me out of a coma, so that meant I had to stay in the hospital for much longer. I did not understand until then to the point that my wife was not there. “All the time I was thinking, ‘I’m going home,’ I was thinking, ‘I can get there, no problem.’ “Then they said, ‘Your wife is dead’ – and until that moment they had the funeral, and I was not even there. “It was catastrophic and it crushed me.” Latest news about the coronavirus: • COVID cases in the UK increase by around one million a week • More elderly people in hospital with COVID than in Omicron Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 6:07 Is the UK experiencing another COVID wave? “His life was ruined in a few days” Mick spent a total of six months in the hospital. He had suffered severe loss of mobility, speech and memory. Despite being told many times that his wife had died, short-term memory problems meant he could not retain the information for long. Expert teams, including NHS physiotherapist Daniel Street, needed to be reminded. “It was quite difficult for us, because he would be very upset about it,” he said. “This information had to be reinforced when we first went home, and he was walking around his house opening lockers and seeing things that reminded him of his wife and that was incredibly upsetting for him. “It was a catastrophic experience that changed his life. His life was completely ruined in a few days.” Read more: Why are COVID cases rising again? Picture: Mick and his daughters Faye and Sophie “Why did this have to happen to us?” Mick’s two children, Faye and Sophie, were taken care of. They were both witnesses to horror that no child should ever have. from finding their mom not responding at home, to living in care without having any idea what the future holds for them. Sixteen-year-old Faye is now a young caregiver, trying to do her GCSEs and be a regular teenager. He said: “It was very difficult and very difficult to adjust. My mom and I were very close, I depended a lot on her. If she was here, I would not be in the situation I am in now, I would have to cook and clean and take care of him. my dad”. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker “The night I lost my mom, I was so shocked,” he added. “You never really think it will happen to you. I was upset and angry that this was happening to me. I would never wish that on my worst enemy, but sometimes I think, ‘Why me?’ “Why did it have to happen to us?” “I miss her loads, Mother’s Day is approaching and sometimes she seems to be gone.” As COVID crosses the country again, Mick’s story is a reminder of the devastating effects of this pandemic on countless people – and that lives and livelihoods remain at stake.
