'We're so proud of our mum's brave fight against Covid'

After 10 days in a coma at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, her oxygen levels falling and what appeared an ‘all or nothing’ bid to raise them having apparently failed, the family of the 67-year-old from Mereside took the heartbreaking decision for medics to withdraw care.

Despite her brave battle against coronavirus, there appeared nothing more doctors could do for Susan and the family asked if she could come home to die peacefully.

Almost a week after arriving back at home in Seathwaite Avenue, Susan’s family were encouraged by what appeared to be her improving condition and called in medics for a reassessment.

Her oxygen levels had drastically increased, her progress continued and less than six weeks after leaving hospital, she is almost back to her normal self, with a little more fatigue than previously the only difference – and has even been out and about shopping with daughter Emma.

“We are so proud of her – we thought we had lost her,” said Emma.

“The world is full of bad news at the moment and we are so thrilled that mum can provide a bit of positivity for the world.”

Susan, a retired toy factory worker, was admitted to the Vic with Covid on October 9 and three days later was put into an induced coma and on a ventilator after developing Covid Pneumonia.

“That started to lift off her chest and she slowly made progress,” said Emma.

“But a few days later, she got secondary pneumonia and that sent her oxygen levels were all over the place and she was requiring high amounts of it.

“A few nights later her heart went into atrial fibrillation, and her blood pressure soared through the roof.

“Luckily with a 24-hour infusion of medication her heart went back into sinus rhythm.

“The consultant said that she was coming up to day 10 of being in the coma and was still heavily reliant on the oxygen.

“He said she was ready to come out of the coma so they were going to try a temporary tracheostomy so she could wake up but still get the oxygen she required.

“We were told they had one shot at doing that but it failed.

“Mum was already really poorly prior to having Covid with ongoing health conditions and we were told nothing else could be done for her, so my dad, my brother and myself made the horrible decision to agree to withdraw care.

“The NHS staff at the Vic were absolutely brilliant, they allowed me and my dad in to be with her while they withdrew care and we were told it could take 20 minutes to two days for her to pass away.

“We sat with her holding her hand, all dressed up in PPE, watching her SP02 oxygen levels drop from 87 to 32 over a 24-hour period. After two days, she was transferred to another ward to pass away peacefully.

“Three days later, she was still with us so I asked if she could come home to die peacefully.

“Five or six days on from that, she was still here with us, so I phoned her GP and asked if she could be reassessed.

“I had been checking her obs all weekend at home and her oxygen levels had gone up and her blood pressure was amazing.

“I had been giving her fluids and rehydration treatment as she was very dehydrated.

“The doctor came out to see her and he couldn’t believe how well she was doing. He agreed she could come off the end-of-life medications and her old meds reinstated.

“Several weeks on, she is very almost back to her normal self, other than feeling slightly fatigued from time to time, has been into town, Christmas card shopping and we are thrilled at her progress.

“She has had the help of Routes care company with two carers in particular, Anne and Michelle. They were a massive help to her from day one of her coming home, always going above and beyond.

“We are so grateful for the care she received throughout out and so relived at the outcome.

“I just want to bring some hope to people and prove that it is possible to conquer Covid – that miracles can happen.”

Susan said: “Coming home to my family gave me the motivation to get better.”

She has been married to husband Innes for 47 years and daughter Emma and son Simon were joined in looking after her at home by Emma’s partner Andrew.

Dr Jim Gardner, medical director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (inset), said: “We are delighted to hear such positive news about a patient who was treated for Covid at our hospital. To hear about Susan’s recovery is really pleasing and we send her and her family all our best wishes.”

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