Upbeat John helps Italy fight off coronavirus

Aid worker John Murphy is staying upbeat as he helps

Italy battle coronavirus, writes Kathie Griffiths.

The self-employed maintenance man, who lives in Taynuilt with wife Louise, is volunteering in Cremona in the Lombardy region of northern Italy with Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse where he is helping run an inflatable hospital in a car park.

Louise told The Oban Times on Tuesday: ‘They have seen quite a lot of successes. Quite a few people have now come off ventilators which is great news.

‘There are still more people coming in but the situation is more level than it was.’

The couple have been Skyping and Facetiming every night to stay in touch.

‘He’s very good, very upbeat. Everyone out there is mega-busy, John is tired but he has lots of stamina and will just keep on going to get the job done,’ said Louise.

Mornings for John, who has carried out previous aid missions with the same charity in the Bahamas after it was hit by a hurricane and in war-zone Iraq, start at 5.30am. If the job allows, he is in bed for 8.30pm to be ready for the next day.

‘The shifts are long with busy days and he has had to work through some nights. Depending what needs doing, he has been working in the danger red zone and out of it. He is doing lots of practical stuff at the moment involving water, hygiene and sanitation, just anything hands-on that makes sure the hospital can keep running,’ said Louise.

John was due to spend three weeks out in Italy but might have to stay for another fortnight because some of the charity’s workers are now needed in New York where Samaritan’s Purse has just built another 68-bed ward in Central Park.

To support the work John and others are doing with the charity, go to samaritans-purse. org.uk