Woman who nearly died with Covid and spent 85 days in critical care in Blackpool pleads with people to get the vaccine

  • A report by our Correspondent Mel Barham

A woman who spent 85 days in a critical care unit in Blackpool after catching Covid is now raising funds for the hospital which saved her life. 

Lynette Wade and her daughter Danielle Wade have raised over £2000 for the Blue Skies Hospitals Fund - Blackpool Teaching Hospital's NHS Charity.

Aside from giving back to the team who saved her life, Lynette wants to alert people to the severity of Covid-19 and the long-term effects it can have.

Lynette is now out of critical care and on the road to recovery. Credit: Danielle Wade

After spending 122 days in Blackpool Victoria Hospital she still has a persistent cough, scarring on her lungs and requires oxygen. 

Lynette said: "I just remember the paramedics coming into the bedroom late at night, they took me into hospital and the rest when I came round I don't remember any of it."

Lynette was put into a coma, on a ventilator for more than a month and her family were warned she might die.

Lynette previously worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital as Waiting List Manager for over 30 years. Credit: Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Danielle said: “It was the biggest rollercoaster ever. They warned us about the blood clots, infection, and a phone call to say she probably wasn’t going to make it.”

The 42-year-old praised the critical care team saying they were ‘unbelievable’ and constantly stayed in touch to update them about how her mother was doing. 

Danielle set herself a challenge of running 5k each day for 30 days to raise the money for the hospital which saved her mum. 

Danielle has smashed her original goal of raising £500 for the Blue Skies Hospitals Fund. Credit: Danielle Wade

“They told us when she [her mum] woke up that her rehab would be like training for a marathon, so I try and think to myself, come on, other people feel worse, keep going. 

“A lot of family and close friends were really apprehensive about what was going to happen to mum, so obviously they’re very grateful to the hospital.”

What is long Covid?

Some people who contract the coronavirus can experience symptoms for weeks and even months after the infection goes away.

According to the NHS the chances of having long-term symptoms is not linked to how ill you are when you first get the virus. 

Doctor Jason Cupitt, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at said: "Too many people think this is a disease of the elderly and unfit, Lynette isn't old or unfit, quite healthy as are many other patients we see.

If you want to find out more and donate to the fundraiser you can click here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/danielle-wade3