‘WE’LL BEAT THIS TOGETHER!’
Grandson and grandad send message from their hospital ward
"Hopefully we’ll both be able to leave together” – those are the words of a grandfather and grandson who are both battling Covid-19 at Sunderland Royal Hospital together.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Chris Emery was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital by ambulance after falling seriously ill following a positive Covid-19 test.
The 29-year-old was taken to the hospital’s covid ward where X-rays showed he had severe covid pneumonia.
He was taken down to the ICU within the hour, but was first paid a visit by grandfather James Marshall, who was also being treated for Covid-19 on the same ward.
"I think they brought my grandad to see me in case I didn’t come back up without a ventilator,” said Chris, who was days away from a 13-mile charity run when he was struck down with the virus.
Following a“scary ”24 hours, Chris is back on the ward and can visit his grandfather and says the 82-year-old has fared a lot better against the virus than he has.
"I’m an active 29-year-old, you don’t expect it to hit you like this, but I seem to have had the worst of it,” said Chris.
"It’s not just elderly or vulnerable that it affects – my grandad has been fighting it better than I have.”
On Tuesday, November 24, Chris, a plant operator from Washington, had returned from a six-mile run feeling under the weather. He began selfisolating and booked a covid test the following day when he didn’t improve.
Days after receiving the positive test his condition worsened, he said: “It was really scary.
"Coming up to the ward and then going straight down the ICU, I was close to being put on a ventilator.
"My lungs were in a bad way and I needed 10 litres of oxygen an hour to keep my levels up.
"My grandad was able to see me before I was taken down to the ICU. He was quite worried when they told him I was in a worse state than him – but I didn’t look it and he knew I was in the best place.
"My mam, Lindsay Terry, and my dad, Bob Emery, were both really worried about me.”
His mum also tested positive for Covid-19 and was in hospital for a few hours after contracting an ear infection.
Although Chris says he doesn't know how he contracted coronavirus as he hadn’t seen family members in the weeks before.
His 82-year-old grandad was brought in to hospital a few days before Chris and tested positive for the virus on arrival.
His wife of 58 years, Linda Marshall, was also hospitalised recently – although it wasn’t linked to Covid-19.
“They’ve been through the wars,” Chris told the Echo from his grandfather’s bedside. “Grandad says he’s feeling ‘champion’ now and he’s so grateful to all the nurses who have looked after us both.
"They have been fantastic, you can’t fault them. They work around the clock and do everything they can for you.
"I’m up and down, when I have a coughing fit it just takes the life out of you – it’s scary because you don’t know if it’s going to stop.
"For the sake of the rest of the family especially it’s good we’re in here together.
"At least they know there’s someone here with him and that grandad is here with me when they can’t visit.
"Hopefully we’ll both be able to leave together.”