A mother tragically died from Covid-19 after telling her husband and five-year-old son she loved them in a heartbreaking phone call from her hospital bed.
Emma Reilly, 38, passed away 12 days after being admitted to the Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester following a positive test for coronavirus.
The mother-of-one had suffered cold symptoms – including a sore throat and runny nose – which dramatically worsened over the Christmas period.
Her husband Tony, 38, decided to call for an ambulance on Boxing Day when her condition deteriorated further and she developed an ‘unusual cough’.
Ms Reilly – who had undiagnosed cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin – was placed on a ventilator soon afterwards, and she died in hospital on January 7.
Speaking of his final conversation with his wife, Mr Reilly said: ‘She rang me and she was so weak she could hardly speak. She told me and Connor that she loved us.
‘That was the last time I ever spoke to her. They put her to sleep and placed her on a ventilator.’
The heartbroken father spoke as Britain yesterday recorded a devastating 1,820 victims of the virus – the UK’s largest single day death toll since the pandemic began.
Emma Reilly, 38, passed away 12 days after being admitted to Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester when she tested positive for coronavirus. Pictured: Ms Reilly with her husband Tony and their son Connor
Mr Reilly, an IT manager, said he and his wife both tested positive for coronavirus ahead of Christmas when they developed ‘symptoms of a heavy cold.’
‘We both had symptoms of a heavy cold before Christmas,’ he said. ‘A sore throat and a runny nose, not the classic symptoms of Covid like a cough, headache or loss of taste.
‘But we decided to get tested and it came back that we both had Covid. On Christmas Day Emma came downstairs and she looked unwell but we watched [our son] Connor open his presents.’
‘She stayed on the sofa all day and didn’t open any of her own presents.
‘That night she said she wanted to sleep on the sofa because she was so hot and wanted to keep the patio doors open.’
The mother-of-one had suffered cold symptoms – including a sore throat and runny nose – which dramatically worsened over the Christmas period
Her husband Tony, 38, then decided to call for an ambulance when her condition deteriorated further and she developed an ‘usual cough’ early on Boxing Day
Aston Villa fan Mr Reilly said he had received messages of support from former players Ian Taylor, Lee Hendrie and Shaun Teale
‘Don’t put me to sleep, I won’t wake up’: Last words of Covid-stricken father to his fiancée over Facetime before he died
A Covid-stricken father told his fiancee over Facetime ‘don’t put me to sleep, I won’t wake up’ before he was put into a coma and then died.
Leon Boase, 40, who had no underlying health conditions, was terrified he wouldn’t wake up before he was sedated, his devastated partner Nichola Jennison said.
The couple had been self-isolating after they both contracted the virus in early November.
Pictured: Leon Boase, 40, with his partner Nichola Jennison
Mr Boase, who rarely drank and didn’t smoke, showed no symptoms to begin with but ended up being rushed to James Cook Hospital, in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, with excruciating stomach pains on November 12.
Ms Jennison, 38, said: ‘His last words to me were: ‘Don’t put me to sleep, I won’t wake up.’
‘I’ll never forget that. It was so heartbreaking to hear but I told him to stop being silly and that he would be home soon.’
Ms Jennison spoke out to tell how rapidly he went from being healthy to seriously ill.
Within 24 hours he was placed on a ventilator and spent the next four weeks fighting for his life in intensive care while his helpless family looked on.
In that time, Mr Boase was diagnosed with pneumonia twice and his kidneys also began to fail.
Doctors gave him just a one per cent chance of surviving but said he would need a lung transplant, which wasn’t available at the time.
Mr Boase, a forklift driver from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, died on December 13.
Mr Reilly, from Stirchley in Birmingham, decided to call for an ambulance at around 1am on Boxing Day when his wife developed an ‘unusual cough.’
He said: ‘She was taken to Salford Royal Hospital where she was given a special helmet to be worn around her head which supplies oxygen.’
Staff later told the father that Ms Reilly wasn’t getting enough oxygen into her body and they were looking to put her to sleep and place her on a ventilator.
Her husband then received a call in the early hours of January 7 to say nothing more could be done for his wife, and that he needed to go to the hospital.
He said: ‘I had Connor with me and asked if he could come which they agreed.
‘The staff were amazing and helped to look after him while I was there.
‘She briefly showed signs of recovery and they told me to go back home again, take a shower, and have some food.
‘I did that and returned later but her condition worsened.
‘They said she didn’t have much longer. I held her hand as she passed away.
‘The hardest thing I have ever had to do was to tell Connor that his mummy had gone to heaven.
‘It broke my heart. He has been very brave but I catch him crying at times.
‘He seems to get a bit embarrassed that he is crying but I tell him that it’s OK we need to speak about mummy.’
Mr Reilly said medical staff at the hospital told him his wife had been suffering from undiagnosed cellulitis – an infection caused by bacteria getting into the deeper layers of the skin.
He said her death has not just devastated his family, including Ms Reilly’s parents Doreen and Mike, but her many friends in Redditch where she lived most of her life.
He said: ‘Emma was such a bubbly fun going woman with a heart of gold.
She was always there to support people in their time of need.
‘She liked to raise money for charity through Race For Life and other fundraising events.
‘She lived in New York as a child as her father was working over there so she has many friends in America.
‘She spent most of her life in Redditch and has many friends there too.
‘I have received so many messages of support from so many people.’
Aston Villa fan Mr Reilly said he had received messages of support from former players Ian Taylor, Lee Hendrie and Shaun Teale.
Mr Taylor said on Twitter: ‘So sorry for your loss. I’m sure the whole Villa family and beyond sends their deepest condolences. Thoughts are with you all.’
Broadcaster Tom Ross added: ‘RIP sorry for your loss thoughts with you and your family.’
Elaine Darwin, headteacher of Connor’s school, Irlam Primary School, has set up a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help go towards Ms Reilly’s funeral costs.
She wrote: ‘This is for the family of Emma Reilly, a beautiful lady both inside and out, who passed away in hospital after contracting Covid-19.
‘She leaves behind her heartbroken husband, Tony, and 5-year-old son Connor.
‘The money raised will help the family through their devastating loss and will be put into savings to help Connor, which is what Emma would have wanted.’
Staff later told the father that Ms Reilly wasn’t getting enough oxygen into her body and they were looking to put her to sleep and place her on a ventilator
Tragedy as Tesco worker and ex-Royal Marine, 81, who stepped in to help on Christmas Eve dies of Covid just two weeks later
A dedicated Tesco worker who stepped in to help out on Christmas Eve tragically died of coronavirus just two weeks later.
John Deacy, 81, began working at the Tesco Extra in Cardiff to keep himself busy in his retirement – picking up shifts five days a week for 16 years.
The former Marine, who ‘put everyone above himself’, had offered to work a Christmas Eve shift three days before being admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
He died shortly afterwards, and his heartbroken son Wayne, 56, has now paid tribute to his father who was ‘kind, generous’ and would ‘do anything for anyone.’
John Deacy, 81, began working at the Tesco Extra in Cardiff to keep himself busy in his retirement – picking up shifts five days a week for 16 years
John Deacy, 81, began working at the Tesco Extra in Cardiff to keep himself busy in his retirement – picking up shifts five days a week for 16 years. Pictured: A tribute to Mr Deacy at Tesco
‘My dad put everyone above himself. He’d do anything for anyone, he’d help anyone,’ Wayne said.
‘I never ever heard him have a bad word to say about anybody. He was kind, generous and like I said, would do anything for anyone.
‘My dad idolised the job. Loved it, especially when he won his bronze, then silver and then his gold service award.’
Mr Deacy’s colleagues also celebrated their late colleague in a gathering outside the superstore, releasing balloons and clapping as his coffin passed by.
A jazz band formed by Mr Deacy in the 1970s marched in front of the hearse in the touching tribute near the Tesco in Gabalfa.
The former Marine, who ‘put everyone above himself’, had offered to work a Christmas Eve shift three days before being admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
A jazz band formed by Mr Deacy in the 1970s marched in front of the hearse in the touching tribute near the Tesco in Gabalfa. Pictured: The funeral
Wayne said his father had served in the Royal Marines for seven years and had been a semi-professional boxer.
He began a career at the industrial gas company BOC and retired before starting his role at Tesco.
‘We’ve had loads and loads of messages from hundreds of staff who said he will leave a massive gaping hole,’ Wayne added.