A BRAVE dad who was hospitalised with Covid-19 has finally returned home, with his family raising thousands of pounds to buy iPads for patients who cannot see their loved ones.

Danielle Rix, from Wickford, feared her dad Paul Smith would not make it during his fierce battle with coronavirus, with the 59-year-old spending 12 days on a ventilator in intensive care.

Mr Smith, who is also from Wickford, had been hit with the virus at the end of July - with his wife Jeanette contracting the virus days later.

Much to the family’s shock, it was Mr Smith who faced the toughest blow, despite his wife being 13-years-older and suffering with symptoms he didn’t have.

It was only after he was taken to Basildon Hospital in August that Mr Smith took a turn for the worst.

Danielle, 30, said: “We noticed the last week in July he had a cough, but he wasn’t bad in the beginning.

“It took about two weeks before he was actually admitted.

“As soon as he had a positive lateral flow test, I bought him an oximeter.

“He wasn’t breathless, but that’s how we could tell something was up.

“We rang 111 for some advice and they sent an ambulance out.

“The paramedics told us he had sepsis and blue lighted him to Basildon.

“After that he started deteriorating and was admitted to ICU.

“Mum managed to recover quickly, but dad didn’t.

“They’ve been together 35 years and this was the first time they’d properly been apart.”

Echo:

Mr Smith has now returned home to begin his road to recovery, although continues to be on an oxygen machine 24 hours a day.

Determined to help other families who may also find themselves unable to visit their nearest and dearest in hospital, Danielle has raised almost £3,000.

This will be put towards buying iPads for the intensive care units at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield Hospitals.

She continued: “We were unable to visit dad in hospital, but a FaceTime call set up by dad’s critical care nurse brought reassurance to the family, it also gave him the morale and strength to fight for his life.

“The staff told him ‘if you can turn this around you will be able to see your family on the iPad’, and it happened within a few hours.”

Paul added: “My evening catch ups with my family on the hospital iPad gave me something to look forward to, and helped remind me that despite the no visitor rule on the ward, my family were still with me.

“I just wanted to help give the possibility of that experience to someone else.”

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