Covid-19 ‘stopped me olding mum’s hand in final hour’
AWOMAN told of her heartbreak yesterday after her elderly mother died alone in a coronavirus isolation unit.
Caroline Hopton, 57, said she could not even hold her mother’s hand as her life ebbed away.
In an emotional message on Twitter, Caroline wrote: “It made losing her even more devastating. How many other families will go through the same?”
She posted a favourite photograph of her mother, whose name has not been given, along with a symbol of a broken heart.
Caroline, of Windsor, Berkshire, said her mother was taken to hospital and then put in an isolation unit as a precaution on Saturday morning.
But her condition deteriorated quickly and she died on Sunday evening.
Caroline, the founder of The Coast To Coast Foundation For
Autism, later tweeted: “Covid-19 stopped me holding my dearest mum’s hand in her final moments last night.
“She died alone in isolation after being admitted early Saturday, and was put in isolation ‘just in case.’”
Responding to questions from her social media followers, Caroline said she had initially been prevented from seeing her mother by staff at the unnamed hospital.
She added: “However, they called and said we could come at our own risk when she rapidly deteriorated at around 1.30am.”
Caroline was driving to the hospital but suffered a puncture.
By the time she arrived, her mother had died.
She said: “I left and got a puncture on the way. My sibling arrived and [got] masked, suited and booted. But she had already passed.”
Her original Twitter message was re-tweeted several times yesterday as warm messages of support poured in. Last night, Caroline thanked wellwishers. She added: “Folks, I can’t thank everyone enough for all the heartwarming messages.
“You have all really helped me today. I had no idea, however, that this tweet would be so widely shared.”
Caroline has two sons with autism. Coast to Coast is a non-profit charitable organisation which helps people with autism and aims to create community social groups, social enterprise schemes and community housing solutions.