VACCINE WAS TOO LATE FOR OUR ALAN
Families grieve for those lost to Covid-19
THE first Covid vaccines in the world were administered last Tuesday, with Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary becoming one of 70 hospitals to begin the rollout.
But it comes too late for thousands of bereaved families in the North East who have lost their loved ones to coronavirus.
Helen Walker and her mum Catherine Davison are “devastated” as the coronavirus vaccine was introduced just weeks after they lost her brother Alan.
The 59-year-old from Ashington, said: “The vaccine is too late now, I wish we could bring him back to save him. We are absolutely devastated.
“He was a nurse himself and used to run Cottage Hospital ward in Morpeth when he was younger.
He was a joyful person, always generous and caring and he would do anything for anyone.
“He had this infectious laugh, we miss him every day.”
Alan, 70, contracted coronavirus on October 18 whilst in his care home.
Although suffering from brain damage, Alan had no underlying health conditions and initially showed no symptoms.
After three days, Alan’s condition began to deteriorate and Helen’s world was turned upside down after receiving the devastating news that he was nearing the end of his life.
Helen was asked to visit Alan in the Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington to say her final goodbyes.
Helen said: “It all happened very quickly. It’s a heartbreaking and terrible disease.
“When we went in he was on oxygen and we were only allowed in a few minutes standing out the way and we couldn’t even hold his hand to say goodbye.
“It was a shock and we are still in shock. We hadn’t seen him since February due to lockdown.
“He told me he was going to die and that image will stay with me forever.”
Helen, who is a full-time carer for her 88-year-old mum Catherine, has found it hard to cope with how quickly the loss of her brother happened.
As Catherine has now lost her second son in the last three years, she says she has found losing Alan very difficult and still remains in shock.
And now as the Covid vaccines begin to roll out, Helen and her mum are left living with the heartache that if the vaccine was introduced earlier, Alan could have been saved.