Great-grandfather, 87, hospitalised with coronavirus recovers from the deadly virus and returns home

Edward Sherress, who is known as Ted, was taken to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, in Cramlington, on Wednesday, March 25, by paramedics.

The 87-year-old had a temperature and was flushed and confused and the day after he was admitted to hospital his loving family were told he had tested positive for covid-19.

“On the Thursday, at about 7.30pm, I got a call from the doctor to say he had tested positive for Covid-19,” said his devoted daughter Kerry Whitlow.

“I was told they were not going to resuscitate him, put him on a ventilator or take him into intensive care due to his age, fragility and underlying health conditions.

“I was absolutely devastated,” said Kerry, a former nurse and midwife. “Even though with my background I understood because there is a lot fitter, healthier people that have got the virus that should get ventilators.

“Dad has had a great life and other’s haven’t lived their’s yet.

“But for me as a daughter I thought I’m never going to see him again.

“I remember waving good bye to him in the ambulance and I said ‘Bye Dad, love you’ – I thought is that the last time I’ll see him.

“It was just a waiting game really for us.”

Ted’s family called the hospital every morning and evening, unable to visit because of the restrictions, and were told he remained stable.

His temperature rose again on Sunday, March 29, and the family feared the worst.

Ted, who has five great-grandchildren, has a series of underlying health conditions including a brain tumour, type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) and kidney problems.

But on Friday, April 3, his family received the news that Ted, a former para-trooper and docker, had recovered and was well enough to come home.

Ted is now back home, in Swarland, with his wife of 63 years Joyce, 83.

“My daughter, Beth, said she wanted to tell the world about this because I really didn’t think he was going to recover,” said Kerry, 57.

“There will be so many people who are so scared of this virus and I want to give these people a bit of hope that people can get better.”

While Ted was in hospital, the rest of his family – including wife Joyce, Kerry and her husband Alan and 25-year-old son Aston - began showing symptoms of Covid-19.

“I had it for eight to nine days, it absolutely wiped me out. My son only have symptoms for maybe half a day and he seemed to bounce back really quickly, my husband was in bed for two days and thankfully my mum only had a cough,” said Kerry.

“It’s an invisible enemy, you can’t see it, you don’t know where it is.

“We had no idea where we picked it up from.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay indoors.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

How to subscribe to the print edition

It’s easy to subscribe to your local newspaper. We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of. Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.