‘Covid’s ruthless and it took our Rhoda from us’
Family mourns the loss of their 55-year-old ‘best friend’
‘She was our best friend’ – a devastated family have paid tribute to a Sunderland woman who was taken from them by the ‘ruthless’ Covid-19 virus.
Rhoda Bra nnig an, who had no underlying health conditions, tragically lost her fight with coronavirus on Tuesday, February 9.
The ‘outgoing and sociable’ customer service assistant, who worked at Kura, fell ill with Covid-19 between Christmas and New Year and was self-isolating at home away from mum Kathleen, who has COPD.
Her condition progressivelyworse ned and she was taken to hospital by ambulance after her oxygen levels dropped dramatically in early January.
The 55-year-old was being fed through a tube after losing more than a stone in weight and was placed on a ventilator.
After two weeks doctors decided to try a tracheotomy so she could be brought round from sedation and taken off the ventilator.
However, Rhoda, of West heath Avenue, suffered a set back following the procedure. A second tracheotomy proved successful days later.
"Family were able to call her on speaker phone to see if a familiar voice might help bring her round and she was doing really well on the Monday ,” said Rhoda’ s youngest sister Kay Jeff.
“We all expected a phone call on the Tuesday to say she had woken up. Her stats were up to 98 and doctors thought she was doing really well.
"But she had a massive deterioration within 12 hours. The staff rang us on the morning and asked us how quickly we could get to the hospital.”
Family were able to see Rhoda before doctors switched off the life support machine after her organs began failing and toxins had spread around her body.
"Covid has no rhyme or doesn’ t care how old you are or if you have underlying health conditions. It’s ruthless and it took her from us,” said Kay, 39.
"I still can’t believe she’s not coming back, we are totally broken. She was more than our sister, she was our best friend.
"She was the glue that stuck us together which sounds like a cliche but you could always guarantee she’d be there.”
Rhoda, daughter of Kathleen and the late Edward (Eddie) Brannigan, was close to sisters Katie Brannigan, Kelly Ayre, Donna Andrews, Victoria Brannigan and Kay Jeff, brothers Edward and Robert Brannigan, and brothers-in-law Ian, Gary, Steve and George.
Rhoda, who previously worked at Dewhirsts and the Spar in Ryhope Road, had 18 nieces and nephews and seven great-nieces and great-nephews who she adored.
"She would give you her last but she also didn’t hold her tongue. Rhoda was very straight talking and would tell you as she saw it – she didn’t have a filter,” added Kay.
"She was a fighter, she stuck up for the under dog and herself.
"Before C ovid we’ d see each other everyday. We started doing a quiz during the first lock down which we did right up until Christmas and New Year on Zoom. Rhoda absolutely loved and lived for our holidays to Florida, it was our favourite place on Earth. She sadly didn’t get to go back as our last holiday was cancelled due to Covid.”
A Go Fund Me page set up by a colleague has raised over £600 for Rhoda’s family. Visit www.gofundme.com/f/rhoda-brannigan