Corona victim with family on hospital frontline gives £50k
A PROPERTY developer who was stricken with coronavirus has donated £50,000 to Mail Force. Bruce Ritchie, 55, suffered acute pains in his back, chest and internal organs.
The owner of Residential Land Group, said the effects of the illness lasted for two weeks and were ‘deeply unpleasant’.
He pledged the money towards Mail Force’s PPE campaign to show his support to those risking their safety on the Covid-19 frontline.
Mr Ritchie said the shortages of safety kit experienced by his sister-in-law, an NHS doctor, also encouraged him to support the charity.
He said: ‘She is a senior obstetrics and gynaecology consultant and she has been on the frontline without protective gear.
‘She gave hers to the junior doctors and nurses working around her. It touches me that someone cares enough to do the right thing for everyone. That’s a member of my family putting herself at risk to help out juniors — but this should never have been the case. Thankfully she never got the infection. I’ve had it and have got through it. I had back pains, organ pains and chest pains. I couldn’t work out whether I had drunk too much, was having a heart attack, or what was going on.’
Mr Ritchie, who is married to Shadi and has two teenage children, described Mail Force as ‘a great cause and the right cause’.
He said: ‘What should be remembered from this crisis is those people that work in the NHS and health industry. They are the heroes we are all clapping for every Thursday and that we are all proud of. It’s the best of British.’
Mr Ritchie said it was ‘outrageous’ that some medical staff have run out of personal protective equipment, adding: ‘The intervention of Mail Force is superb and the charity should push on with this campaign because we will need PPE for a long time. It strikes me as remarkable how unprepared we were. But the crisis has gone on long enough for us to start manufacturing this kit in the UK by now.
‘The fact that Mail Force is raising the money and is pushing this issue — hats off to the charity and I am happy to help.’
The donation by the philanthropist, who also supports a charitable campaign by restaurant tycoon Richard Caring to feed those in need, helped take the total funds raised to £7.2million last night. Donations from 44,000 Mail readers have reached almost £2.2million.
Other philanthropists who have pledged money include Tetra Pak heiress Julia Rausing, who donated £1million, while Sir Brian Souter, founder of Stagecoach, has given £500,000.
Household names backing the charity include Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Michael Caine and Dame Vera Lynn.